


A Dark Saint's Heart

by Sakura108645



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Multi, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 187,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25238452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakura108645/pseuds/Sakura108645
Summary: Cold. Void. She has been called that all her life. When the ocean waves grow high and drag her out to sea, she the felt cold like the void. When the darkness nearly swallows her to it's depths, a light chases them away. Now, that light has taken her a world she only knew through a screen. Now in Plegai, she learns she needs to survive if she wants to live. The iron maiden opens.
Relationships: Chrom/My Unit | Reflet | Robin, Frederick - Relationship, Guire | Gaius/Sumia, Lucina/OC, Oc and Fredrick
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Crashing Through the Waves

**_Uneventful._ **

****

**_Boring._ **

****

**_Cold._ **

****

**_Sarcastic._ **

****

**_Void._ **

That was what she has been told since she was a child. Growing up in the modern world where those with knowledge were frowned upon because of her personality. She could and she can express emotions, but she just chooses not to. With a small sigh escaping her lips as she removed her face mask, the woman just stared at her computer screen. The person on the other side kept babbling on and on about upcoming meetings. She already knew. It was still boring to listen to.

"So, Doctor Zunino, the next meeting will take place at the city hall regarding what the next move for the epidemic will be. Honestly, I want to skip it but duty calls." The person on the other side of the computer screen said.

"Understood. I honestly don't understand why people are so against wearing masks. I swear, the world has gone mad." Dr. Zunino said as her left hand was typing on another keyboard.

"I feel the same, but it is our job. Sigh. Anyhow, take a break. How long have you been on the computer?" The person asked.

"10 Hours. Non-stop." Dr. Zunino answered as their right hand was typing on another keyboard.

" _Sophia_ , you really should at least go for a walk." The person said, worried in their voice.

"Aga, I have been busy with Zoom meetings with my patients. A presentation in a few days as well as the town hall meeting soon. Not to also mention me teaching the new doctors how to do proper surgeries. I'm also still in grad school for my Ph.D. How on earth am I supposed to get a break with my schedule always filled?" Dr. Zunino, also now as Sophia, muttered as she kept typing.

"Don't you have any assistance in your clinic?" Aga said and Sophia nodded once more.

"I do. Why?" She always answered with a monotone voice.

"Are they single?" And at that, Sophia stopped typing, slowly turning back to the computer screen with an " _I'll kill you”_ look.

Aga coward as she spoke.

" _Hands off my cousin,_ " Sophia spoke in a threatening tone that spelled their demise.

"I'm sorry!! I'm sorry!" Aga screeched.

"Good." Sophia's face became neutral again, "Anyhow, I'll see you in a few days. Tell Nicky I said hi." She said and the computer screen shut off.

Sophia let go of another sigh as they turned to the door as they heard it open.

"Sophia! I got good news!" A young woman wearing a lab coat and carrying an iPad grinned, "You got two full days off tomorrow!"

"Wait what?" Sophia blinked multiple times to make sure she was hearing things right.

"Yup! No appointments tomorrow and for the next two days, as well as no zoom meetings or anything else! You can finally relax!" The woman said excitedly as she walked over to her desk.

She handed Sophia the iPad and sure enough, scrolling through the planner app, she had today and the next two days, free of appointments.

"Iris...I can.....relax?" Sophia whispered as she slowly looked up to her cousin.

"Yes!" Iris beamed, "I would take you shopping but considering we're in the middle of a global epidemic, sadly we can't."

"Do not worry." Sophia replies with a smile and half-lidded eyes, "I'm moving some things to my new apartment, so I want to get that done first." She said as she looked over to two suitcases.

"Ah. That explained why they were here. What's in them anyway?" Iris asked as she tilted her head a bit.

"Well, the red one has all my medical equipment for surgeries as well as my books. And the other one has my clothing and my violin." Sophia smiled softly.

"It's rare seeing you smile." Iris said, "Glad that you finally got your own place." She grins.

"Same. Anyhow, you should go home. I'll be going in a bit." Sophia said and turned back to her computer.

"Alright! But don't stay too late! Take care!" Iris said and waved goodbye as she walked out the door.

Sophia nodded as she turned her computer back on and couldn't help but look around her office.

It was the typical office for a doctor except this was her personal one. A desk made of maple wood stained black. The walls were a light blue color of aquamarine. Hanging on them were framed pictures of the human body as well as a few personal pictures. The wall behind her displayed her bachelor's and master's degrees, which she was proud of. The windows had shutters which she closed. Her desk had few nit-nacks other than books and computers. She stood up, put her documents away, and went to her suitcases. She pressed the button to release the trolly handles and pulled them to leave. To others, pulling them people would think they were filled with bricks, but they were not. As she said, they had her clothing, books, and such. She hummed a tune as she was outside, he clinched and locked the door.

" _Hmm~ Hmm~ Reach for my hand, I'll soar away._ " Sophia sang softly as she pulled her suitcases.

She wonders what she should do for her next two days off. Sophia thought she could play Fire Emblem Three Houses all over again but then again, she already completed the game. Played all the routes, unlocked all the marriage proposals, as well as all the support conversations. Not to also mention she recently was listening to the soundtrack.

"Hmm...I haven't touched my 3Ds in a while." She thought.

Should she play Fates? Echoes? Or Awakening? Either one will do for her. Perhaps bake some sweets? She has been in the mood for flan as of lately. She continued walking down the sidewalk, a favorite hobby of hers during the night. Why? Because she lived in the bay area of California. The area she lived in was Santa Cruz, near the boardwalk. She loved walking through the sand at times as well as feeling the ocean water.

"Too bad we can’t be at the beaches because of the virus. Sigh..." she sighs a bit, her eyes showing sadness despite her face had not emotions.

She stopped and stared out to the ocean, something she loved to do when she was lost in thoughts.

"I'll head to the shore rocks," Sophia muttered and turned the opposite direction she was originally going.

Carefully pulling her suitcases, she walked for around 10 minutes till she reached the flat shore rocks. She was a bit surprised to not see anyone there.

"Guess it's my lucky day." Sophia's voice held a bit of joy as she made her way near the edge.

She sat down; her suitcases next to her for some security. The waves crashed softly against the rocks. The place filled with the scent of sea salt as she felt a few specks of seawater on her feet. She had removed her shoes to keep them from getting soaked.

" _Hmmmm~ Your scent, Your stories_ ~" Sophia suddenly began singing, " _Pieces of love is still all over my body~ my wish, my wish is just, Somewhere, I hope you are crying like me~_ " she sang.

At times when Sophia felt a bit out of it, she would sing. It has been a while since she sang, and it felt refreshing. Ever since the pandemic started, it's been so overwhelming. Nearly every single day there has been a rise in cases. She and her colleagues have seen so many people lose their lives and it hurt delivering the news to their loved ones. These past few months have been so stressful, and it was honestly a miracle she got two days off.

"I'm hungry," Sophia muttered and stood up, dusting herself.

Unfortunately, at that moment, the earth began to shake.

"Ahhh!" Sophia screamed and quickly hugged her suitcases tightly.

The ground began to shake harder; the woman grabbed her suitcases and began running as fast as she could with them. Unfortunately, she did not reach very far. As she ran, not caring that her lungs burned, the waves of the ocean rose higher and higher. The shadow loomed over her and Sophia's biggest mistake was turning her head. Her blood ran cold as she saw the giant wave of seawater. It almost looked like a hand. The girl screamed as she turned to run but unfortunately, like bricks, the water crashed down on her. The force was so strong, she tumbled in the water, desperately trying to swim to the surface for air. No matter what she did, it felt like the currents of the ocean kept dragging her back.

The water felt like icicles prickling her skin. Sophia kept desperately trying to grab onto something. Her throat burned; her eyes burned because of the salt in the sea. She managed to grab onto some sort of rock, the edges sharp. She could feel it cutting her flesh, but she didn't care. But luck likes to strike where it hurts.

"No!" Sophia mentally screamed as she saw something heading her way.

It hit her hard. Like hard enough to knock her unconscious, give her a bloody forehead. The woman's world went black. Her last memory was the grip of the ice-cold water all over her body.

**_\- ??? -_ **

_She was curled up in a ball. Hugging her knees yet she felt like she kept falling deeper and deeper into the darkness. She could hear the faint sound of water, yet it felt so cold. She wanted to be warm._

**_Warmth._ **

_Shadow likes hands emerged from the darkness and crawled towards her. They wanted her. They needed her. She was afraid. She didn't want to feel cold again. She wanted to be warm._

_"I want to be warm...."_

_She muttered softly as small bubbles left her lips. The shadows giggled and cackled as they were so close to wrapping around her yet, it never did. The shadows screamed and screeched as light green colored light began to surround the girl. Holding her gently, making her feel warm and safe. The girl stirred a bit yet smiled softly as a female figure took shape from the light. They cradled her in their arms like a born child._

_"Little one. You've suffered so much. You have closed your heart in an iron maiden, afraid that you may be harmed."_

_They spoke softly to her. They fixed a strand of her hair and gently held their right hand. They smiled softly._

_"It is time. Write your fate. For this is my final blessing. I give it to you."_

_They placed their hands over their chest, the girl glowed faintly. The girl was no longer cold. But it felt warm. The female figure smiled softly as she let go of the girl, letting her turn to dust._

_"Now go. Write your path and help create a peaceful future."_

**\- Unknown location -**

"Hmm~ Hmm~ I wonder how Mustafa is doing?"

Along the seashore of the rocky land, a young man walked as he hummed a tune. A smile always on his face as he walked, yet also looking around. He wondered if there had been any news of the war. The king of this nation thirst for blood and approved raids and attacks on the other two nations. While he is quite excited to join, he might first work to get what he wants.

"Hmm?" He stopped when he noticed the crows circling near the ocean shore.

They usually did that when they found something to eat but something did not feel right. Despite his eyes closed, he walked in the direction of the circling crows. The closer he got, the more the wet sand made a squishing sound. He stopped as he came upon the first thing. A strange colored box? With some sort of small miniature wheels.

"Strange." He muttered as he got closer and tried to pick it up.

"Ghhaa! Heavy as a boulder!" He couldn't even pick up the damn thing.

He panted and just to make his life easier, he used wind magic to make it float. The more he walked, the closer he got to his destination. He encountered another strange colored box. It was just as heavy as the other one, so he made it float. Another walk of three minutes and he arrived. He made the boxes land back onto the sand and stared.

"Are they alive?" He thought as he walked up to the body that lauded still on the sand.

The crows chirped at him and one of them pecked the person's knee. More specifically, the female. She had strange clothing that he had never seen before. Her hair was a deep midnight blue that was pulled back in a ponytail. Her bangs stopped just above her eyebrows. Her skin was a very light tan. Did she wear a strange white mage? Cloak. She wore plain pants, a light gray shirt. Her shoes he could tell were heels.

"Caw!" A crow clawed, catching his attention as it jumped on her chest, lightly pecking her forehead.

He noticed the nasty gash and finally realized her hands were cut.

"Shipwreck?" The boy muttered and looked around.

There was no evidence of boat debris, but it was possible.

"Hmm...well, I wonder what fun you'll bring miss water nymph? Nyhaha!" He laughed to himself and managed to pick her up.

Despite looking like a stick, he was strong and was able to carry her. It was a long road to the village, but he should make it. Not to also mention that whatever those strange boxes are may belong to the woman he is carrying.

**[------]**

The land and forest in peace they are. At the village entrance, a few people were out doing a few things. While there was a tense atmosphere, not much could be done. Tensions between the nations seem to rise as the king of their land only wanted more bloodshed by attacking innocent civilians of those nations. A woman in her mid-30's let go of a sigh as she just returned from the forest. She managed to pick a good number of wild berries today as well as catch fish. As she walked, she noticed a familiar face.

"Oh, Henry!" The woman smiled as she made her way to the gates, "How are y--gasp!" The woman gasped, covering her mouth.

She was shocked at the young girl in the boy's arms, injured.

"What happened?!" The woman screeched and the boy now known as Henry shrugged.

"I don't know. Found her washed up at the shore. I thought she was a goner by how cold her body was but looks like she is alive!" Henry smiled as the woman shook her head.

"Well, I am glad she is! Quickly, bring her to my home!" The woman said and Henry followed her.

"What are those things anyway?" She asked, referring to the floating boxes.

"I think they belong to her. Possibly she survived a shipwreck." Henry said as they arrived at the stone house, the woman quickly opened the door.

Inside the stone house was simple. A wooden table with four chairs. A stove made of mud and clay to cook. They made their way through the house to the second room, where an empty bed laid. Usually, Henry would stay in this room when he would visit the village but for now, it will be used by this guest.

"Set her down. Gently." The woman says and he does that, as well as placing the strange boxes at the corner of the room.

While that was being done, a young boy came in, holding a stuffed animal. The boy blinked and grinned.

"Henry you're back!" The boy ran up to him, "Who's the pretty lady? Is she your wife?" He asked.

"Dana!" The woman turned to him shocked while Henry chuckled, "She is a guest. She is hurt and we are helping her." The woman scolded the boy.

"It’s alright Ahura. Still, I do wonder who our mystery lady is? She doesn't seem to come from Ylisse nor Ferox. I don't think she's from Valm. Her clothing is...far too different." Henry smiled as he used some healing magic on her forehead.

The gash healed itself quickly, the skin mending itself. It left a faint scar that could be easily hidden with her bangs.

"Now out you two!" The woman, Ahura, shoos the two males out, "I need to change her clothing and bandage her hands! She'll catch a cold at this rate! Now shoo!" And she closed the door shut.

"Aww! I wanted to see!" Dana whined and Henry laughed.

"Nyahahaha! Don't worry! You'll get to talk to Miss Water Nymph when she wakes up." Henry laughed.

"COUGH!! ACK!! COUGH!!"

A loud cough and gasping for air were heard in the room, making the two boys quickly turn back to the door.

"Ahura is everything alright?!" Henry yelled and quickly opened the door.

The blue-haired woman that he brought coughed out water and Ahura quickly brought her a wooden bucket because it looked like she was going to vomit. The girl did and Henry quickly asked Dana to go back to the living room. As much as the boy was worried, he obeyed.

"Brugh!" The blue-haired woman vomited and Ahura gently patted her back.

"There there. It's alright." The older woman whispered as she rubbed her back a bit.

The girl gasped for air and gulped, slowly turning her head to the woman.

"Thank.....you..." she fell to her left and knocked out.

"Oh! Hold on, dear!" Ahura panicked and Henry helped her pick the girl up, setting her on the bed.

"She's out cold. She'll wake up in a few days." Henry smiled.

"Sigh...poor girl...she looks like she went through hell. For now, go. I'm going to change her clothing. I think the old dress I used to wear should do." Ahura said and Henry nodded.

He left, closing the door behind. He had to admit, he was excited. This mystery lady felt strange. There was magic sleeping inside of her. The possible potential for her to be a mage should she wake up. The magic was in a slumber that only needed to be awakened. Henry hummed a tune as he made his way out of the home, walking through the path of the village.

"Hey, Henry!"

The white-haired mage turned to see one of the village farmers walk up to him.

"Saw you bring a young lass! She alright? Looks pretty bloody if you ask me." The farmer said as he looked up to the sky.

"Think she may be a victim of war? Or a spy?" They said.

"I don't think she's a spy. Her clothing didn't match any of the three countries nor Valm. She could be a traveler. Found her washed up in the ocean. Possible shipwreck. Pirates may be killed her crew?" Henry chuckled.

"Gods, I hope not! Poor lass. I do wonder what Mustafa is going to say when he sees her. He should be coming back in a few days." The former sighs as they looked back to the sky, "War is only tearing apart this land. I wonder if we'll make it through the winter." They muttered.

**\- 1 Week Later -**

For the past few days, Henry has come and gone from the village, hoping for Miss Little Water Nymph to wake up but she hasn't one bit. The lass looks like she is in a deep slumber, sleeping away. Her injuries have been healing steadily and seemed whatever is sleeping inside of her wants to wake up. It's been a week and they haven't woken up at all. Henry was rarely impatient, but he wanted to talk to Miss Little Water Nymph. He originally was going to go through her belongings. Ahura said that it was rude to look through a lady's things. Currently, he walked beside Mustafa. The man had just arrived from the capital. He was a general in the army.

"I see.....has the girl woken up yet?" The bulk of a man asked.

Mustafa was a huge man with tan skin, wore a dark red fur like button Cape. His shoulders were protected with armor in the shape of skulls. He was a bald man with a beard. As for Henry, he was a man of white hair, light skin, wore dark mage robes with strange symbols. On his shoulder was a crow.

"Not yet but I hope she does! I'm starting to grow a bit impatient!" Henry smiled and Mustafa let go of a sigh.

He was returning to his village for a short time to visit. When Henry told him about the strange girl he found, concern grew.

"As I said, I don't think she's a spy and none of her clothing matched any of the three countries nor Valm. Looks like we have to wait till she wakes up." Henry said as they arrived at the village.

Small fast footsteps were heard, and the two men saw Dana running up to them.

"Welcome home Papa!" Dana yelled and jumped into his father's arms.

"Ahaha! I'm home, Dana! You didn't cause your mother trouble now did you?" Mustafa asked and shook his head.

"No way Pa! I was a good boy!" Dana grinned.

"What am I? I corpse?" Henry motioned to himself.

Mustafa was already used to Henry's dark humor by now.

"No. You're a skeleton." Dana stuck his tongue out at him.

"Oh! You wound me!" Henry pretended he was hurt, and the boy laughed a bit.

"Almost forgot! Miss Water Nymph has woken up!" Dana said and at that, Henry quickly perked up.

"Well. Well."

**[----]**

"Urrghhh......."

Her head hurt. Her body hurt. Everything hurt. Her throat hurt. Her eyes stung. Her vision was blurry as she forcefully yet slowly made herself sit up.

"Where....?" Sophia muttered softly as her vision adjusted and she looked around.

The room she was in looked simple. A closet made of wood for clothing. A casemate style wooden window was opened. Red currents a bit open to allow some sunlight to come in. Sophia hissed and looked at her hands, they were bandaged. As she kept looking around, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. Her eyes went wide as everything came crashing down at her. Her last memory was that there was an earthquake and the ocean suddenly rose. She was hit by a tsunami and dragged out to sea. She remembers the cold water as well as her struggling to try and survive. But the main question in her mind was, where was she? The fact that she is alive and survived would be considered a miracle. The door to the room opened and in came a woman in her mid-thirties.

"Oh! Thank goodness! You're awake!" The woman has short brown hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes. Her clothing was a simple brown dress and boots.

"Hold on. I'll bring you something light to eat. Don't move so much. You still have bruises." The woman said and quickly left for the kitchen.

Sophia looked down at herself and realized her clothing had changed to a simple white gown. She heard the woman come back, carrying a tray of food. A bowl with a simple vegetable stew, a small plate with peaches cut, and a glass of water.

"Here you go." The woman sat at the edge of the bed, "This should help. And don't worry, I'm the one that changed you. You were drenched." The woman said.

Sophia was silent and tried to pick up the wooden spoon but winced at how painful it was.

"Need some help?" The woman muttered and as much as Sophia hates relying on others, she was in no condition to use her hands.

"Yes...please..." her voice was a horse and the woman smiled sadly to her as she picked up the spoon.

"It's alright. I can tell you've had a rough time. My name is Ahura. This is my home." Ahura smiled softly as she fed Sophia the stew.

While Sophia didn't show any emotion, her eyes lit up at the taste of the stew.

"Delicious." She muttered and Ahura chuckled.

"Aww! Thank you, Lass! I make the best vegetable stew here in Farzad Village! Now eat up. Need your strength to properly talk and move." Ahura chuckled and a rare soft smile was on Sophia's lips.

"Thank you," Sophia muttered.

"It's alright. What is your name dear?" Ahura asked as she fed a peach slice to her.

"Sophia...Zunino...I..am...a..doctor." Sophia muttered a bit hoarsely but thankfully the woman was able to hear her.

"A doctor? Lass, what is someone like you doing out here?" Ahura asked and right when Sophia was about to speak, the door opened.

Sophia tilted her head a bit as she saw three males come in. The first one was a little boy with tan skin, brown eyes, and hazel colored hair. He wore a white shirt and black shorts.

"Miss Water Nymph! You're awake!" The boy grins and walks up to the edge of the bed, "Pretty eyes! They're like rubies and emeralds!"

"Dana be nice," Ahura said and the boy, Dana, pouted.

"Nyahaha! Don't worry about Dana too much!" Sophia looked up to the white-haired male.

"He looks familiar." She thought and looked over to the huge bulk of the man.

"You seem to have recovered enough to talk." The man said and Sophia flinched a bit.

She was intimidated by how big he was. Mustafa noticed and his eyes softened a bit as he got the chair near the table and sat down.

"You remember anything? How did you get those injuries?" Mustafa asked carefully, referring to the cuts and bruises she had.

"I....was...near..the shore...then..there..was..an..earthquake." Sophia muttered softly since her throat still stung from all the screaming and water that went in, "Swept away..by..large wave."

"There has been an increase in earthquakes lately." Henry spoke, "It has just been affecting Plegia but also Ferox and Ylisse. So, it is possible. That explained why you were washed up at sea." He smiled.

"What?....Ple... gai....Ylisse...Ferox...what?" Sophia began to feel her heart rate increase by the second as the white-haired man spoke familiar words.

"Hmm? Miss, you don't know?" Dana spoke, "You're in Farzad Village! It's near the coastal sea of Plegai!"

"No..no....that's impossible....Ple..gai...is just...a nation..in..fairytales!" Panic began to rise in her voice, emotions she rarely began to express began to show on her face.

Her breathing began to increase. It was obvious she was starting to hyperventilate.

"Dear calm down!" Ahura panicked as the girl breathing was becoming frantic.

Henry was amused. It was now clear this woman was not from any of the three countries, much less Valm. The way she is reacting meant she may be from a faraway land. The woman even went so far as saying that Plegai was a nation only fairy tales, ha! Amusing as it was seeing this girl in despair and panic, he needed more information.

"What's your na---ah. She passed out." Henry pouted a bit seeing that girl passed out cold.

She landed back on the bed and Mustafa looked over to his wife.

"She seems to be in a panic. Let her rest. Once she fully recovers, she should be able to speak properly." He said and noticed Henry walk over to the strange color boxes.

"She said her name is Sophia and that she is a doctor," Ahura muttered and looked over to her husband, worried.

"I don't think she's from the capital. And the name Sophia sounds foreign." Henry smiled as he may have found how to open the boxes.

"Boy, what are you doing?" Mustafa asked as Henry barely managed to set the box down flat.

"If she claimed to be a doctor then might as well see if it's true. Wouldn't hurt to look through her belongings." The boy smiled as he pulled what looked like a lock. It made a strange zipping noise as he pulled it more, till fully opened. Pushing up the top like if it was a chest, he smiled as he looked at the things in the chest.

"I don’t think it is a good idea," Ahura said, unsure but her husband gave her a nod of reassurance.

Opening it, Henry felt like he hit a Jackpot. It was filled with books, as well as writing supplies, and one bag caught his attention. He opened it and inside were glass jars filled with herbs, some he had never seen before. Scalps of different varieties. Needles with a strange tube on them. Small white bottles that rattled. There seems to be some sort of pills in them. And other materials that looked like what an herbalist, mage, or alchemist uses. Henry then picked up one of the books, it had a figure of a human skeleton, and opened it. He blinked multiple times.

"I can't read this." He said out loud and Mustafa looked at him surprised.

Henry stood up and showed him the book.

"This language is completely different from the one we know. Not even the books that Valm, Ferox, and Ylisse have this language." Henry said as he went back to the case and looked through more books.

Some of them were in languages he had never seen before either. He put them back and quickly went to open the other one. To his disappointment, it was filled with clothing and Ahura screamed when he pulled up a small piece of clothing.

"Put her undergarments down!" The woman yelled and Henry quickly put it back, closing it.

"So, this confirms she is a scholar. A doctor like she said. But, could she be a noble?" Mustafa asked and Henry shook his head.

"I am not sure. We'll have to wait again till she wakes up." Henry answered and the group left the room.

During the time Sophia woke up, in a different country, called Ylisse, another tale began. A young tactician was found by a group of shepherds roaming the lands.

**\- Dream -**

_The water rippled softly as it seemed she was swinging through it. Despite before she felt the cold grip of it, this time it felt warm._

_"Where am I going?" Sophia thought as she swam through the waves._

_Her body was see-through yet her eyes remained with colors. It was strange but somehow it felt comforting. There was light at the end of the tunnel she was swimming through and reached out towards it. The light blinded her a bit but suddenly she was in a giant city. People dressed similar to medieval times as they walked around, bustling. The place looked happy, filled with smiles and joy._

_"Where am I?" Sophia thought as she looked around, but her body seemed to move in a specific direction._

_The closer she got; she could hear voices. Two male voices and two female ones._

_"C-Chrom..I mean. Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!"_

_"Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities."_

_Sophia felt her heart freeze as she made her way closer to the group._

_"It can't be...." she took a step back as she saw the group still talking._

_"The princess and princess...That explains why Frederick tolerates all the teasing, eh?" A young woman with silver-colored hair in two pigtails, ruby-colored eyes._

_She wore a long dark black coat with a bit of gold on it. A cream-colored shirt with the same colored baggy pants with brown boots. Next to her was a young girl who looked about 16 or 17 years of age. She has light blonde hair that was tied up in two high pigtails. She wore a headband of wool-like buttons. Her dress was soft yellow. A brown corset she wore and the hoop of her dress is made of metal. Her apron was like a maid because of the ruffles. She also held a staff. The blonde girl snickered as they turned to a man wearing armor._

_"Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm..." the man in armor sighed._

_He wore a blue metal armor that reminded Sophia of an armored knight. As big and bulky as it looked, he walked comfortably in it. The man has brown hair combed back a bit and stren brown eyes._

_"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?" The one-man, in all his glory, Chrom._

_He has dark deep blue hair, blue colored eyes, a long cape that was a bit torn. He had a metal shoulder plate on his right shoulder. On his waist, was stepped on the Legendary sword, Falchion. And on his left arm, the Brand of Naga._

_"This can't be real...this can’t be real..." Sophia began to mutter repeatedly as she watched the group walk away._

_They were chattering among each other as they walked through the town, yet Robin felt like she was being watched. No, she senses the presence of someone familiar. Someone, she felt safe with. Sophia panicked a bit and it only worsened when Robin suddenly stopped and turned her way._

_"Sophia?"_

_At that moment, the dream ended, and Sophia returned to her body._

**[----]**

"Sophia?"

"Robin, is everything alright?" Chrom said as he saw his friend suddenly stop and turn to look down the pathway.

Robin was silent as she kept staring at the location. She saw ruby green colored eyes filled with panic before they disappeared. The name Sophia left her lips. It was a foreign name yet it felt so familiar for some reason.

"Yes. I just thought I saw someone I knew. My mistake." Robin smiled softly and quickly ran to catch up to the group.

**\- 1 month later -**

"Not again..." Sophia muttered as she felt her eyes open once more and just prayed to all the Fire Emblem gods that she was just in a dream.

But no. She woke up in the same place she did before. Her vision adjusted once more and she sat up, this time no longer in pain. Sophia carefully raised her hands, opening and closing them to make sure they worked properly. Her hands felt a bit numb, but the move allowed a proper blood flow to return to them. Carefully she moved her legs off the bed and tried to stand up.

"Ngh!" She, unfortunately, tumbled down and began muttering curses.

If she could not walk, it meant she must have fallen asleep for a long time. Hopefully not for 5 years like certain mercenaries. At that moment, the door to the room opened and a gasp was heard.

"Goodness dear! Hold on!" It was a woman named Ahura.

The older woman quickly ran to her side and helped her stand up. Sophia felt her legs weak.

"One step at a time..." Ahura reassured her and the baby steps they took till they reached the bed.

Sophia sat down and hissed. Gods, she hates being bedridden.

"You've been asleep for nearly a month. Do not rush yourself." Ahura muttered and Sophia nodded.

"Thank you," Sophia muttered.

"It's alright. I'm glad you are awake. I was starting to get worried you entered magic comatose." The older woman sighs as handed the girl a glass of water.

Sophia gladly gulped down and handed her the cup, thanking her once more.

"Umm...Could you...tell me where I am?" Sophia asked as the woman helped her put her feet back onto the bed.

"First, let's get you something to eat."

Indeed, Ahura got up and got her a light vegetable stew from before. This time, Sophia was able to eat by herself. She listened to the older woman explained to her about the three countries and a bit of their history. Which, by the way, Sophia already knew about but needed time to confirm it. Ahura also explained to her that the one that found her was Henry, a Plegai Dark Mage that works in the capital. He often comes to visit the village when the leader, you guessed, her husband, General Mustafa of Plegia, is away in the army.

"I'm going to be crying in silence tonight." Sofia thought as the woman finished talking.

"By the way, what's your story? How did you end up here in Plegai? I wish I could say you came during peaceful times but with the way The Mad King runs things...sigh..." Ahura sighed.

"I am a doctor. I come from a country beyond the sea. It is called the United States." Sophia explained as she took another spoonful of stew, "The clothing I was wearing, it may not look like it, but I was a commoner also. I worked through grueling hours of studies and...other harsh things to reach where I am now. As a thank you, I more than happy to help you and the others in the village if anyone gets sick." Sophia said, despite her face not showing emotion, her eyes did.

"I see. Thank you." Ahura smiled sadly to her, "Now rest for now. I think you should be able to walk in a few days." Ahura smiled and Sophia nodded.

It felt nice spending the next few days talking to Ahura. Sophia, despite her face being a blank piece of cardboard, eyes showed emotions when she would speak to the older woman. She was able to speak with Dana, who she learned is her son. The sweet boy reminded the blue-haired woman of her own younger siblings. But during the night, Sophia would silently cry herself to sleep, not even letting a sob escape her lips.

"I don't think I could go home...." Sophia muttered one night.

The reality was a cruel thing when realization began to crash down. The weight of it fell onto her light those raging waves. So, any questions she had about how she ended up here. And Plegai of all places. But then again, she is in a village. Part of her is glad because she doesn't want to get involved in the fighting. Much less a war or killing people. She is a doctor. She saves lives. But she needs to also be realistic.

"I can't sleep." Sophia groans as she sits up and thankfully, she can walk properly again.

Ahura has been helping her with physical therapy, which Sophia explained what was. The older woman was impressed, and it was adorable seeing Dana cheer her on. Sophia stood up carefully and put the blanket over herself like if it was a cloak. She, unfortunately, had the habit of walking silently, making no noise whatsoever. A skill she learned when she was younger for various reasons. Walking through the home, she could see Ahura and Dana sleeping together in the room across from her. She was silent as she walked out of the house, closing the door behind her.

"Huh...The sky... it's so much clearer.." Sophia muttered as she looked up to the night sky.

For her, walking around at night was a habit. Something about the pathway being lit up by the moon always felt comforting. 

"I haven't seen a clear night sky like this in years...." Sophia muttered as she continued to walk and noticed she was near the edge of the forest.

The grass was nice, and she couldn't help but sit down. She looked up once more to the night sky, yet tears didn't fall. She wanted to cry. She needed to cry, but Sophia couldn't bring herself to do it.

"This is my reality. And I highly doubt the Outrealm Gate is still intact. It's been nearly 3,000 years....change in geography. Movement of clans and all. I do wonder if there are legends of Nohr and Hoshido. Hmm...Can I learn magic? Will I have to kill? Shit, I hope I don't have to." Sophia grumbled and laid down on the grass.

Her hands behind her head, her left knee up as she places her right leg on it, crossing it. Staring up to the sky, a rare small smile appeared on her lips.

"The sky is clear...I missed nature." Sophia muttered and closed her eyes.

_"On an ocean of stars,_

_Lo an angel they see._

_Untouched by the war_

_That they waged."_

The wind blew softly as the woman sang. The forest animals stopped their small chirps as they listened. Unknown to her, small little creatures with wings listened.

"( _That song...I haven't heard that song since the age of Mila and Duma_.)" One of the little ones spoke in an unknown language to their kind.

"( _Shh! Let us listen!_ )" Another whispered back.

_"Lay low by their scars,_

_A people wounded by free_

_Seek what lies_

_Beyond this dark age._

_The seasons they turn_

_Winter to spring_

_Dulling the pain and_

_Erasing the sting_

_The seasons turn_

_Summer to fall_

_Time's warm embrace_

_Begins to heal all_

[ _On the wild, at first light_ ](https://genius.com/Bonnie-gordon-the-heritors-of-arcadia-lyrics#note-14964758)

_[The jasper lion will run](https://genius.com/Bonnie-gordon-the-heritors-of-arcadia-lyrics#note-14964758) _

_[Hark an anthem he drums](https://genius.com/Bonnie-gordon-the-heritors-of-arcadia-lyrics#note-14964758) _

_[Can you hear?](https://genius.com/Bonnie-gordon-the-heritors-of-arcadia-lyrics#note-14964758) _

_The people fresh from the night_

_Rise and listen as one_

_The land that they were promised_

_Is near_

Sophia slowly opened her eyes, finishing the song. Unknown to her, they glowed a bit, however....

"!!!!!" She never expected someone to be looking down at her face.

"Why hello there!" A closed eye smile that had too much cheerfulness in it, Henry.

The little creatures quickly flew away because a certain mage was present.

"My you must like my face." Were the first words out of Sophia and the boy just laughed as he moved, allowing her to sit up.

"Nyhahaha! Don't think those be the first words you say **_Miss Water Nymph_**!" Henry smiled as she sat across from her and the woman turned his way.

"Everyone has been calling me that. Is it because you found my cold corpse near the beach that you are surprised it's still breathing?" Sophia muttered as she propped her elbows on her thing, resting her cheek on her hand.

"Oh! Not bad describing yourself! Yeah, I thought you were a corpse when I found you." Henry chuckled, "You're speaking to me so casually."

"Well, this is how I usually am. Names Sophia. I'm a doctor." Sophia said bluntly and Henry grinned.

"Names Henry. Now, since we're speaking so casually...." he opened his eyes, just a tad bit, "Who are you Miss Water Nymph, named Sophia? You aren't a Yilesse spy, now are you?"

Sophia could feel the hidden killing intent hidden in that smile. She needed to play her cards right since she knows Henry's history. 

"I should be honest." Sophia thought and spoke.

"Well, like I said my name is Sophia. I am a scholar and doctor. I come from a land beyond the sea called the United States of America." She explained the first part.

Simple and clean. She hates dragging things out and wasn't the type to be into a lot of conversations.

"I never heard of this United States of America. Ugh. A handful to say." Henry smiled.

"Just call it the USA. It's a pain in the ass anyway to say the whole damn name." Sophia bluntly said and Henry laughed.

"For a lady, you sure have a sailor’s mouth." Henry laughed.

"I've been told that often. Besides, if I didn't have a sailor’s mouth, I would be a corpse displayed on a wall where I live. Gotta have words to turn to daggers to deal a killing blow." Sophia comments and Henry laughed.

"Agree! After all, give a man a match, and he'll be warm for a few hours. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life." Henry said and there was complete silence.

Crickets could be heard. Henry was used to it. After all, normal people don't laugh at his j-

"Pfft." Sophia could help but let a snicker escape and it suddenly became a laugh, "Hahahahaha! I haven't laughed this in years!"

She rarely showed emotions and she showed them when dark humor was involved. Henry couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was someone out there who was into dark humor like him.

"I got one!" Sophia grinned, "One man's trash is another man's treasure. Wonderful saying, horrible way to find out you were adopted." She said.

"...pfffft!! Ahahahahahaha! Oh, Gods! That was horrible and funny!" Henry laughed loudly as he held his stomach.

"I like you. I think you and I are going to get along just fine." Henry grins, "So, tell me about your job? Do you get to cut people open? Sew skin together? Lots of blood?" The excitement in his voice as he asked that.

"Okay, one I am part surgeon, so I have seen all of that." Sophia sighs, "And two, I don't just cut people open because I want to!" She glared.

"Hahahah! Well, you still open people up!" Henry smiled, "Say, what's your country like?"

"Well," she thought for a moment as she tapped her index finger on her chin, "Well, there is magic where I live. We have more advanced knowledge and technology that allow us to live normal lives with no magic at all." Sophia explained.

"What? That's impossible." Henry frowns, "Are you saying magic doesn't exist in your country? And are you able to live perfectly normal lives without? That's..." he smiled, "Absolutely fascinating!"

"But I do find it strange. I can sense some sort of magic in your body." He pointed to her chest, "Magic flows in your veins."

"Hahaha, very funny." Sophia sighs "That should be impossible."

"Wanna bet?" Henry smiled and Sophia shivered.

"No. I feel like my body will explode if I make a bet with you." She says and he laughed.

"Fine then. Let's make a deal." Henry smiled, "If you can use magic, I teach you how to properly use it." He grins.

"But I know you wouldn't just teach out of the good in your heart. What's the catch?" Sophia crossed her arms under her chest.

"You teach me about your knowledge. I say...you seem to know a lot of interesting things." He licked his lips a bit.

"Fine. But another condition." She raised her finger, "I can't read the language of this land. Teach me it and I will teach you the language of my land. I can tell you want to read my books." She says and Henry chuckled.

"I do. Your strange tools are also so interesting." Henry smiled at her.

"I feel I'm making a deal with the devil." Sophia thought.

"So, deal? By the way, do you even have a place to live? Money?" He asked and then that came crashing down her too.

"Shit!" Sophia cursed, "I don't want to trouble Ahura, Dana, and Mustafa with me staying with them. I already caused enough trouble with me sleeping for a month." She pulled her hair a bit.

"There's an old abandoned cottage in the forest no one wants. You could live there. By the way, I'll help you repair it in exchange you show me more things." He smiled and Sophia nodded.

"Fine. Deal." She extended her hand to him.

"You made the right choice." Henry smiled as he stood up, "Now better take you back. Don't want Ahura to panic." He extended his hand to her and she took it, the two sealing their deal.

The two chatted as they walked back to the village, a few things here and there. Sophia decided to tell a few stories of her home to satisfy Henry's interest. Meeting Henry for the first time, she admits, she was intimidated. Of course, she never said out loud for obvious reasons. Surprisingly, she gets along well with him.

"Well, we've arrived." Henry turned back to her as they arrived back at the house, "I'll be sleeping on the couch by the way. And I do recommend speaking to Mustafa tomorrow. I think he'll let you stay here in the village." He explained.

"I will. And thank you." Sophia smiled softly.

"Huh. I can tell you don't show emotions much, so I'll say this is a rare smile I see." Henry grins as he goes in.

"I rarely smile." Sophia thought as she told him good night and went to the room, she was staying in.

She was silent as she closed the door and stared at her suitcases. She walked to the pink colored one where her clothing was and opened it. All her clothing was in there and she moved it. Underneath the pile, was her violin along with a small jewelry box she inherited from her grandmother. It held so much meaning to her and held close to her chest, letting the tears she was holding back once more fall.

"This is my reality....I need to adapt.." she whispered.

_Hopefully tomorrow, the day will be better._

**Chapter 1: Crashing Through the Waves**

**[-----]**

**Welcome to my new story!! This story will take place on the Plegai side of the war. I hope you all are looking forward to it. More on Sophia will be revealed in the future. She eventually will meet the Shepherds.**

**Also, I’m going to be taking a small break from Shattered Songs of Fate. I’m a bit burned out as well as the writer's block. Hope you guys understand. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this new story!**


	2. Through Painful Sands

**\- The Next Day -**

Yup. It was supposed to be a good morning, but no. Fate always had a way to strike her, especially since she woke up with Henry looking down on her face.

"Rise and shine!" Henry smiled down at her and all she did was turn her head, cover herself with the blanket.

"Come on now! Wake up! Or I'll put a hex on you." He smiled and Sophia quickly sat up.

"I don't need to be hexed. That's Thajra's job." She thought and got off the bed.

"I'm going to the capital and I'm bringing you along. Can't exactly have you looking like...." he looked her up and down, "A walking corpse."

"You could have just said I look like shit." Sophia huffed, "And unfortunately, I have no money. So how the hell am I supposed to buy anything? And what's the money system here?" She said as she walked to her pink suitcase and unzipped it.

"There's a pawn shop in the capital. You could sell something for money. By the way, the money system is this." He took out a copper coin, a silver one, and gold.

"One copper coin can be used to buy daily necessities. 100 copper coins are equivalent to one silver coin." He showed her a silver coin.

"So copper coins are dollars if I put it in US money terms. Then that means one silver is 100 dollars." Sophia thought as she quickly had Henry go out of the room for her to change clothing.

He chuckled as he leaned on the other side of the door and continued to explain.

"100 silver coins is equivalent to 1 gold coin. Then we have other types of coins that are rare. Orona is a type of extremely rare metal with a shade of silver and blue. The metal is used to amplify magic. It used to be used for currency but not anymore. One coin of those is worth 10 gold coins." Henry chuckled as he heard shuffling in the other room.

"Lastly we have a type of gold called pieceling. When shaped it turns a light blue color while the other side remains silver. Four of those coins are equal to 1 gold coin. In terms of silver, it's around 25. 1/4. Do you understand?" Henry finished explaining the money system of the three countries.

"1 bronze coin is a dollar. 1 silver is 100 dollars. 1 gold is 10,000 dollars. I get the rest. Hmm, I know this money system." She thought as she finished packing up her bag with the medicines she had in her suitcases.

Henry moved from the door and saw her open it. She wore her white lab coat, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, round glasses. Her shirt was a plain black shirt with a long black skirt that was easy to move in. She wore black boots and around her shoulder, was a black-brown bag that her friends call a _black hole_.

"You stick out like a sore thumb," Henry commented and Sophia just gave him the stink eye.

"What you expect? I walk into the capital naked? I have no idea what type of clothing the people of Plegia wear. As well as the culture." Sophia said a bit coldly.

"Hahaha! You got a point. Here." He handed her a black coat that was similar to Robin's, "Plegia isn't in summer yet but it's still pretty hot. This cloak should keep you cool." He smiled.

"Oh! Henry when did you get here?!"

The two turned and saw Ahura had just woken up along with Dana. The little boy's hair was a bit of a mess.

"Good morning Ahura!" Henry smiled, "I got here last night. I'm taking Sophia here to the capital to speak with Mustafa as well as buy a few things." He explained.

"Oh! What did you wish to speak with my husband?" Ahura asked as she walked up to them.

"Umm..." Sophia let go of a sigh and spoke, "I wanted to ask if I could live here in the village." She said and the woman looked at her surprised.

"I just found out it's not possible to return to my homeland and I don't know anyone else outside of this village. Henry told me about an abandoned cottage in the woods. I am hoping I receive permission to repair it and live there. I already cause you and your family enough trouble and wish to repay you all in some way." Sophia finished explaining.

"Oh, dear! It's alright! You were injured, no trouble at all. You're so kind and thoughtful for thinking of us." Ahura smiled warmly and Sophia looked at her surprised.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked.

"N-Nothing." Sophia shook her head, "And thank you once again Ahura."

"It's alright. Besides, I do think my husband would let you live here." Ahura smiled.

"Since you're going to the capital, can you buy me some sweets?! Please!" Dana gave them the puppy dog eyes.

"Nyhahaha! I don't mind. We'll be back in a few days!" Henry smiled and he and Sophia waved goodbye as they left.

Walking down the village road, a few of the villagers began whispering when they saw Sophia for the first time. Meanwhile, the girl was still a bit lost in thoughts as they walked out the entrance of the village.

"Got something on your mind?" Henry smiled as they walked up to two horses that were tied to a tree.

"Ahura called me kind." Sophia muttered as Henry began to untie the ropes, "I never have been called kind before." She said.

Henry was silent yet his smile remained as he walked up to her.

" _Void. Emotionless. A doll. Cruel._ I have been called those words all my life." Her lips were pressed together as she tilted her head back, looking to the sky, "I have always never been one to express emotions. I learned at a very young age that I would only receive punishment if I showed them. So, a smile is extremely rare and difficult for me to do." Sophia looked back to Henry with a void face.

"It felt strange being called kind. I'm supposed to save lives. Yet because I rarely expressed emotions, I was seen as cold. But being called kind, felt good. Laughing even at your jokes felt nice and refreshing. Am I strange for thinking that?" She tilted her head to the right a bit.

"I don't know." Henry opened his eyes just a tad bit, "Guess it's up to you to figure it out." He handed her the reins to the second horse.

It was a black Friesian horse. It nuzzled her cheek and she chuckled a bit.

"You do know how to ride a horse, right?" Henry smiled and she nodded.

"I do. I took lessons from my grandmother." Sophia muttered as she gently petted the horse and got on.

Henry chuckled as he got one of his horses and the two snapped the reins. It has been a while since she rode a horse. She missed it. The feeling of the wind blowing in her hair as the horse ran through the field of grass.

"How long till we reach the capital?" Sophia yelled out a bit.

"About 6 days. I wish I could just warp us but unfortunately, that's a hassle. So we're riding over there. By the way," he pointed to her bag, "I heard something rattle. What do you get in there?" He asked.

Sophia had her horse slow down a bit as did he. She opened her bag and took out a small bottle of blue clear pills.

"Medicine. Made of high-quality ingredients that are beyond difficult to obtain here or possibly do not exist. I'm thinking of selling it. Not sure how much it would go for." She said as she put the bottle back into her bag.

"Well now! What does that medicine do?" Henry asked and she raised an eyebrow.

"This medicine is called an antibiotic. It's a lifesaver medicine in my home and can cure about almost any illness that exists." Sophia said and Henry looked at her surprised.

She had to admit, it was an _exaggeration_ , but some poor chum could fall for it. But the ingredients used to make it would increase its value. Especially in this country.

"Whoooaa! If that's true, you're better off selling it in the black market!" Henry grinned at her.

"I'm new here and you're already trying to throw me into Lion's den?!" Sophia gawked, _"Triador!"_

"Tri-wha? Do you know more than one language?" He asked as they had their horses start running again.

"I called you a traitor!" Sophia snarled back, "And yes. I know about five different languages. I'm one of the few people called multilingual. Which means, speaking more than four languages." A bit of a smug look appeared in her eyes as she spoke of it.

"Can you teach me all of them?" Henry asked.

"Hell no. My first two languages are called Spanish and English. My native tongues. The other three are called French, Japanese, and Old Celtic Runes. And those three were a pain in the ass to learn. 8 bloody years suffering. I'm just teaching you Spanish and English." She huffed.

"Booo! You're no fun!" Henry stuck his tongue out to her.

"Yeah yeah. Whatever. Not the first time I've been called that." She sighs as she looks around, noticing the land becoming drier as they continue.

"How many villages will we be passing through or stop at?" She suddenly asked.

"About three of them. Why?" Henry said as he noticed her face becoming more void of emotions by the second.

"Who rules this land? All I have been told that it is ruled by The Mad King. I need more information so I can understand my situation." She answered.

".........." he stared at her for a good 30 seconds then spoke, "You didn't just bring medicine, did you?"

Sophia turned to him, giving him a thousand-year-old stare.

"No, I didn't. I brought my medical bag with me. I'm a doctor. I'm treating my patients. Regardless of who they are and status." She answered.

"That explains why I saw you staring around the village earlier." Henry smiled as he looked back to the field.

They were becoming more desert-like.

"You noticed huh? The conditions of it. Other villages have it worse." He muttered.

"I know. I've worked in similar fields before during my younger days." She answered as she looked up to the sky a bit.

"Younger? How old are you?" Henry smiled.

"22 years old. Yeah, I know. I look 18." Sophia grumbled and Henry burst out laughing.

"Aye, I'm two years younger than you!" He laughed and Sophia turned to him, a bit surprised.

"Really? I thought you were at least 18." She said.

"Ouch! I'm hurt!" He grins, "But for now, let focus on. We'll be reaching the first village in a few hours. So, want to spin your magic there?" He asked.

"As I said, I'm a doctor. I swore an oath to save lives. I may not be from this country but I'm still doing my job." Sophia looked over to him, "If you are injured or sick, I'll help you also."

**\- 4 hours later -**

Riding through the land of Plegai felt like she was running through the desert. The land was dry and crumbled. Tumbleweeds roll because of the hot wind. Dust was picked up easily and she had to use her hood as a mask to protect herself. The sunlight was harsh, at most 103° degrees. Henry explained to her that the temperature drops at least to 38° C at night. She was grateful they weren’t in the wintertime. It was still spring, but the temperatures could be pretty cold. Henry did warn her that they need to be wary of sand crawlers as well as bandits.

"Why the fuck do those monasteries exist in this world?" Sophia thought.

The sand crawler monster was originally introduced in Fire Emblem Three Houses so hearing those monsters do exist in this world was alarming. At least Crest didn't exist? Right...?

"Anything else we need to worry about?" Sophia asked as they saw a few buildings up ahead in the distance.

"Well, since you don't know magic yet, do you know how to defend yourself?" Henry asked.

"I know how to do martial arts. How to make poison and acids. As well as how to use daggers and needles." Sophia explained as they arrived at the village entrance.

"I also know how to use a gun but those don't exist here, and I hope they never do." She thought as they arrived.

They tied the horse reins to a nearby tree that was big enough to provide shade. Henry used some magic to make the ground turn a bit cold. Sophia couldn't help but look at the man with wide eyes. The hue of glowing blue with a small magic circle came from his hands as he placed it on the ground. Henry muttered a spell as frost began to form on the ground. The horses seemed less hot and appreciated the cooling sensations of it.

"I take it this is your first time seeing magic?" Henry smiled as he noticed the woman staring at his left hand that he used to cast the spell.

Sophia nodded and Henry chuckled.

"How about I give you a small test before I teach you magic?" He smiled.

"What sort of test?" She asked as he finished and began to walk into the village.

She covered her mouth in shock as they entered. Many of the people were in a terrible state as all the village. The place was barren, even more, many children were a bit too skinny as well she could tell many were sick.

"What the hell happened here?" Sophia could barely chock out as her fist shook.

Henry smiled as he began to explain.

"Heavy taxes, famine, poverty. The common folk can't afford medicine. Not even the cheapest one which is 1 silver coin." He said but froze when Sophia turned to him with an enraged look.

"1 silver coin is not cheap!" She nearly roared at him.

"Hahaha! Is that so?" He smiled, "Then prove you're skillful. Treat these people." Henry opened his eyes a bit, "To survive, one must adapt. Isn't that right?" He smiled.

"Fine. But first, is there at least an empty cottage here I can use?" Sophia growled.

"That's exactly why I wanted to bring you the capital. Prove you can survive." He smiled and led her through the village.

"Is that a noble?"

"What is a noble doing here?"

She could hear whispers going on in the village and could see many people suffering. She needs to work.

"This can work. I can get information." Sophia thought as they arrived at the partly run-down building.

Opening the door, inside was a table and at least two wooden beds. Not the best conditions but better than nothing.

"I'm going to get things set up. In the meantime." She turned to Henry who just smiled, "Give me 1 hour. In the meantime, go inform the villagers that a doctor is here to treat them. No charge whatsoever. How many people are in this village?" She turned to him seriously.

"100 people. Can you handle all of them?" Henry smirked as she walked to a table.

She placed her bag on there, Henry hearing the loud thump, indicating it was heavy. Well, to him it would feel like a bag of bricks. To her, it feels like something she carried every day, books. Her back was facing him as she began to open her bag. Taking out her materials, her face is void of emotions.

"I've been under far worse pressure," Sophia answered as she took out a few water bottles she had.

"I've seen death more times than you can count. I have seen life leave people's eyes. I've been spat at, yelled at, threatened, and been told a lot of horrible things through my career." Sophia kept unpacking everything in her bag, the coldness in her voice only becoming stronger.

Henry seemed to like this side of her. He only got to know her for a few hours, but it was clear to him this woman stood up to the words she was told.

**_Cold._ **

**_Void._ **

"But she isn't cruel." He thought as she kept unpacking things.

A loud whack was heard and held in a smirk as she finished putting on blue colored gloves.

"What are you waiting for? Go." Sophia said and noticed he walked up to her.

"Here, you're going to need these." He placed about 5 potions on the table and heard her chuckle a bit, "There should be two more tables and a few chairs in the back. Should help even things up a bit." He said.

"Thank you. I'll pay you back by the way. Any chance you like fresh homemade food?" She asked as she grabbed her face mask from her bag.

"Make me a pastry from peaches." Henry laughed a bit.

"Deal."

**[----]**

"Come one come all! For a brave foreigner from a land far away has come to treat you all! And for free I might say!"

Henry was a little shit. He was finding great entertainment in seeing _Miss Water Nymph_ showing what others call humanity. Her face was like a blank slate, he honestly thought she was a walking corpse.

"Head to the building with the broken sign! _Miss Water Nymph_ will treat you there!" Henry smiled as he pointed to the building.

While many of the villagers had looks of doubt, they still made their way to the building.

The first one to enter was a mother with an infant child. At most, the child was 5 months old. The woman cried as she showed the child to Sophia and the older woman immediately got to work. The child was suffering from malnutrition as well as a fever. It may not look like it but in Sophia's red suitcase with her medical supplies, she was going to deliver a new shipment of medicines. Now, since she doubts, she'll ever be able to return home, she will use the medicine to help these people. Back and forth she went as the hours passed. 1 hour turned to two. Two hours turned to four. Nonstop, she kept moving. Treating the villagers. Nonstop, the crowd did increase. At some point, there was a man with an open wound that had to be treated. It was badly infected, on the right thigh. Henry had a candle for her ready and he watched her operate. The man had to be put to sleep as well as use medicine to numb his senses. Henry watched in amazement at how skillfully she moved her hand to wield scalpels, removing the rotting flesh. The infected flesh oozed with puss and yellow like a rotting animal corpse. The blood spilled all over the dirt floor and also on her clothing, yet she did not flinch one bit as her hand moved onto the next equipment. A needle and thread she used sewed the fresh disinfected flesh back together to close the wound. Her face showed no emotions as she did it. Her mask hiding the frown she had as she double-checked to make sure no blood vessels were bleeding. It looked like she was sewing wool instead of flesh. Bloodstained the floor and the white apron she was wearing. She cleaned up the wound and applied for medicine, then bandaged it. The wife of the man cried tears of joy and thanked her.

"It was nothing. It's my job." Sophia's voice was a bit muffled because of her face mask.

She began to instruct the woman how to properly change the bandages every day and to avoid getting wet in the area that was treated. Many of the women listen to her as she instructed how much medicine to give. As well as how to properly take care of the children. Henry had to admit, he liked seeing the pride of the young mothers hurt because the older women had smug looks. The fact that it was late at night and she finished treating the last few people still amazed him.

"Thank you so much, dear. Please accept this." An old woman handed her a small pouch.

Sophia opened it. Inside was an old gold ring with rubies on it, in a shape of a rose.

"I'm sorry but I will not accept this," Sophia said and handed her back the pouch.

"How rude!" The teenage girl next to the old woman glared, "Nana is giving you something! Besides, we don't have money to give you if that is what you want." The girl crossed her arms.

"Haaaa?" Sophia gave the girl a dry look as she removed her gloves and mask, "I'm not being rude. It's called being thoughtful." Sophia sighs as she turns her back on them.

"First off, I can tell that ring means a lot to you madam," Sophia said as she threw the plastic gloves into the small fire Henry made.

The disgusting smell of chemicals and plastic came from it as the gloves burn.

"I will not accept something that holds so much meaning and value to a person. I'm assuming the ring was given to you by your husband, correct?" Sophia said as she tilted her head back a bit.

"Yes. How did you know?" The old woman asked as Sophia tilted her head forward.

"......My grandmother. You remind me of her. She gifted me something very valuable to her." She turned to them with a small smile, "You should give it to your granddaughter when the time is right if you desire. Do not give something of so much value, a stranger." Sophia turned back to the table and removed her apron.

The old woman smiled softly and nodded.

"You're a kind person, young girl. Thank you." The old man said, and Sophia's hand stopped just above her bag.

"Kind? Am I kind?" Sophia thought as she cocked her head but spoke, "Thank you." She muttered.

"We'll be going now. Also, what is your name?" The teen girl asked.

"Sophia." Was all Sophia said and the two women said their goodbyes and left.

Henry smiled as he walked in, and saw her sitting on the chair, staring at the small copper pot. He used it to start a small fire. She picked the other copper bowl, and Henry handed her a bottle of alcohol.

"Use it to clean your tools." Referring to her surgery tools.

Metal tongs, types of scalpel he had never seen. Tools he had never seen in his life. Sophia chuckled lowly as she popped the bottle and poured about half of it into the bowl.

"Thank you." She muttered and went into her bag, taking out another pair of plastic gloves.

She picks up the bloody metal tongs and puts them into the bowl, wiping it clean. Making sure not a speck of blood remains. She repeats this step with each tool. All night she takes to clean and put her things away. Henry just watches, observing her. She was so focused on cleaning and packing away she did not notice the time pass. The night turned to the day before she realized it.

"I'm tired. I need coffee." Sophia muttered and slumped onto the chair, finished putting away her last tool.

"Hmmm...." she looked out the window and began groaning loudly because she saw it was morning.

At that moment, she heard footsteps, and at the door was Henry with his usual smile but in his arms, he was carrying a bag of peaches and oranges.

"Good morning!" Henry smiled as he walked and noticed her staring at the bag, "If you're wondering where I got these, one of the villagers is a farmer and wanted to thank you with these. Since word has already got out that you refuse to accept the coin." He chuckled as he held a peach out to her.

She gladly took it, using her sleeve to clean it. She took a bite and her eyes lit up. It was sweet and tart. Just how she likes it. The flesh of it is a deep dark yellow.

"Are you going to have me do the same thing at the next two villages?" She asked if she devoured the piece like a rabbit eating a carrot.

He handed her an orange after she finished eating it. She peeled it quickly and ate it.

"Yup. You did quite well for this village. Even going as far as to educate the young women here. Not bad." He smiled, "The next two villages have a bit fewer people so it should be less stressful." He said.

"I can't help but feel relieved hearing that," Sophia said.

"Get some sleep. We'll head out in a few hours." He smiled as she stood up and went to one of the beds.

"Thank you." She muttered as she laid down and knocked out.

Henry chuckled as he saw her knocked out and stayed nearby. First, he isn't risking her getting robbed. She's been interesting so far and he's taking a liking to her. He had to admit, with the amount of talent and skill she showed yesterday, it would be enough to make her a court doctor. But then again, he can tell she isn't the type to get involved in the big stuff.

"Too much of a hassle." He thought as he picked up another peach.

She had the potential to be a mage. He saw the way her interests peaked when she witnessed magic for the first time. She had potential. And he wanted to awaken it.

"Hmm?" Henry turned to the window and saw one of his crows come up, his smile fell when he saw there was a message tied to its left leg.

He stretched out his arm, the crow landed on his arm. He untied the message and opened it, the frown on his face only deepened as he read its contents.

"Tch." He was rarely angry but there were a few that made him frustrated.

He looked back to Sophia then back to the message.

"I hope you don't get roped into this."

**\- 6 days later -**

For the next 6 days, the process was repeated. Traveling and seeing the land become more desolate and drier. The villages were in poor condition as well as the people. Famine, poverty, heavy taxes as well as a dictatorship of a ruler, Gangrel.

"Punk ass son of bitch. Rot in the eternal flames of the Underworld for putting these people through hell." She muttered out loud as they were nearing the capital.

"That isn't directed at me, right?" Henry said.

"Nope. Towards the mad king." She answered and Henry burst out laughing.

"You're very honest, you know that?" He smiled.

"I think the word you are looking for is brutal." Sophia chuckled.

Brutal honesty she gives most of her time and that's why she was called cruel. The closer they got to the capital the more excitement built up in Sophia. The huge city was surrounded by a huge wall built most likely thousands of years ago. The closer they got, Sophia could see Plegai guard on the walls and entrance. The giant stone wall reminded her of The Great Wall of China, yet the place felt cold. The sun's rays came down harsh and Sophia could feel the heat.

"Halt!" A Plegai guard yelled as the two travelers stopped at the entrance.

"Don’t worry. It’s just a little old me!" Henry grins and the guard flinched.

"Pardons General! You may pass. And may I ask, who is this?" The guard looks over to Sophia.

"She's a mercenary. I hired her to do a job for me. She's getting her mercenary identification today." Henry lied smoothly.

"Very well. You may pass. Do you wish for us to take your horses to the stables?" The guard asked as they two got off.

"Yup! We'll be back for them in a few days! Anyhow, has there been a new shipment of lumber?" Henry says.

"Yes General." The guard said and Henry smiled as he opened the wooden gates to let them in.

The sight of the city took Sophia's breath away. The buildings were made of mud and bricks, similar to buildings of Mesopotamian ones. Some were small, others were big. There were stalls with vendors, yet the capital was not as lively. Not too far away, came into her sight a huge if not monstrous skull. She recognized it. The curled horns. The fangs. The multiple eye sockets.

"Grima...." she thought as they walked through the roads of the city.

It felt sad. She could imagine this place was once filled with life and lively if it wasn't for a bloody bitch of a king.

"I'm taking you first to a place where you could sell your merchandise for a very good price." Henry smiles as they keep walking.

The sights of the clothing the people wore were a bit similar to those of Persian culture. Clothing was made to help the people stay cool from the heat as well as protect them. Then there's those like her and Henry wearing black, which attracted the sun. Walking through the alleyway, Sophia saw more and more people. Some didn't move at all and prayed they were alive. Others whispered. It was similar to the slums. Henry suddenly stopped and turned to her.

"It's better you wear this." He handed her a mask.

It was similar to a crow’s mask except this one didn't cover her mouth. The top part was a feather. Better to describe it, it was like a blue masquerade mask.

"I'm assuming this is to keep me safe." She said as she first undid her ponytail, allowing her hair to be free.

When her hair is let loose it is elbow length.

"Hmm, your hair is straight. Similar to someone I know." Henry comments as he takes a strand of it in his hand but blinks multiple times when he notices a bit of blue pigment on his fingers.

"Shit. Looks like it's that time again." Sophia cursed as he let go of the strand.

She took a bit of her finger and rubbed them together, a bit of blue pigment on them. Sophia began muttering curses. She does not need this to happen all over again.

"Your hair isn't naturally blue?" Henry gasped as they began to walk again.

"No. I dyed it. Looks like it's that time of year again that I need to touch it up. They do sell pigments for hair here in Plegia, right?" She asked as they arrived at a wooden door.

"They do. Say, what is your original hair color then?" He asked as he knocked.

Sophia went silent as unsavory memories resurfaced.

_"Ew! It looks like rotten paint!"_

_"Have you ever thought of dying it?"_

_"How on earth is this hair color natural?!"_

_"Don't lie. You properly got some extensions huh?"_

"It's a secret." Sophia placed her index finger on her lips and smiled coyly.

Henry only hummed as the door was opened and they entered. He also wore a mask, but Sophia had to keep herself from nearly bursting out laughing. He wore a plague doctor mask. The room they walked in had the heavy scent of alcohol, tobacco, and essences. Sophia tried not to gag as they made their way through the fancy-looking place despite how dark it was. There multiple people wearing black robes, specifically dark mages. Sophia always likes dark mage clothing.

"Oh...Gremorys exist. Shit!" Sophia thought as they passed Gremory.

Henry hummed a tune as they made their way to a specific section. Sadly, she couldn't read the sign.

"It says Medicine." Henry said and Sophia turned her head to him, "Just tell them you here to sell the medicine you have made. You'll see." She could tell he was smiling behind the mask.

Sophia nodded as they approached the desk and sitting at the other side was a man who looked in his mid-40's. He wore the clothing of a dark mage and spoke.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

"I'm here to sell me medicine," Sophia said as she placed the bottle of antibiotics on the counter.

"Strange." The man muttered as he picked up the bottle and rattled it, "Usually the medicine is in powder form. This is the first I have ever seen it in such a compact form." The man walked over to a strange magic tool device.

He placed the bottle there and it activated. Magic circles glowed as they seem to be scanning the contents in the bottle. A number appeared above it on its left, a list of something. Mostly likely the ingredients. It took everything in Sophia not to start smirking as the old man's eyes went wide.

**_Value: 700 gold coins._ **

"What is the name of Grima?!" The old man screeched, "All of these ingredients and about a third of them nearly impossible to obtain here in Plegia or any of the other countries! These are some of the rarest and riches ingredients in the entire nation!" The man turned to her, excitement in his eyes.

"You! Where did you obtain such a rarity of medicine?!" He said and Henry frowned.

"I am a traveler." Sophia answered, "I came from a land farther than Valm. I require money so I do expect a good amount. I have...more rare medicines I have personally made." She smiled coyly.

"You will be paid exactly its value! What is the name of this one?!" The man asked.

"Antibiotic: medicines that help stop infections caused by bacteria. They do this by killing the bacteria or by keeping them from copying themselves or reproducing." She explained.

"Incredible...." the man whispered, "But why would you sell something of such high value here?" He asked.

"I need money," Sophia answered as she took out two more bottles.

The first one had red and blue pills. The other one had green pills.

"The red and blue is to treat a disease called malaria. You've seen people get deeply sick because of mosquito bites. Correct?" She said and the man nodded.

"There. I just identified the sickness and I have the medicine of high value. How much would this one sell?" She grinned wickedly.

**_Wicked._ **

****

**_Evil._ **

****

**_Cold._ **

****

**_Cruel._ **

Those are the masks she wore to survive. Henry watches with great amusement and pleasure as the man quickly puts the bottle on the magic tool. The value was 800 gold coins.

"The last one is called vitamins. They help maintain the body healthy and provide the missing nutrition the body needs. What is its value?" She said and the man quickly put on the machine.

She had a bit of a disappointed look to see that its value was 500 gold coins, but it was enough.

"We'll buy these three! They will be put up for bidding and the funds will go to you. What is your name?" The old man asked.

" ** _Raven_**. I am a doctor who travels the world." Sophia smiled.

"Well, then Miss Raven! We'll send a messenger to fetch you once the sale is done. What is the location you will best stay at?" He asked.

"She's with me...." Henry spoke and immediately the man paled.

"L-Lord Henry...Yes...Umm..I'll make sure to have my messenger inform you." The old mage quivers as Henry waved.

The two turned back and began to walk away, the old man letting out a breath of relief. He knew better than to try and scam a general of the Plegai army. Still, the rarity of the medicine the woman Raven sold him is beyond anything he ever imagined. The medicine was past what royal court mages make. Worth the value of them add that with the list of extremely nearly impossible to ingredients, worth a lot.

**[----]**

"Just how much did you scare the poor man?" Sophia said as they walked now through the marketplace of the Underworld, aka, black market. The stalls were similar to marketplaces except they sold a lot of illegal things. There are animals in cages. Sophia thanked the lord there weren't any humans in the cages but...

"What on?!" She gasped and quickly covered her mouth as the creatures she saw in glass coffins, metal cages, in chains, she recognized.

"Oh?" Henry smiles through his mask as he saw her stop in front of a birdcage filled with little small bird-like creatures, “Is this your first time seeing a fae?"

Sophia recognized them as ariels. She began to take another look around and flinched a bit, seeing a few dark shadows that laughed. Henry frowned.

"Say." He pointed to one shadow that crawled towards them, he quickly stomped his feet on it, "You can see them, can you?" It squirmed and screeched as he pressed down harder, "The fae and this _fortryde_."

Sophia just nodded her head and turned back to ariels. There were about three of them in the cage.

"I swear to pay you back once the medicine sells." She pointed to the cage, "I want them."

Truthfully, she planned to set them free.

"Hey, you." Henry turned to the mage selling them, "How much for the three ariels?"

"1 silver coin each." The man said, "And I'll throw in vodyanoi for half off." The mage said and Henry smiled as he handed the man 3 silver coins and 50 copper ones.

The man handed her the cage and the other one in a glass case. The poor little ones look so depressed and she quickly put a black cloth over them.

"I need to buy a few more things. Just a bit longer and we'll head to the inn we're staying at. So, stick next to me." Henry smiled as they continued.

The trip through the marketplace was, Sophia had admitted, interesting but also depressing. The number of illegal things she saw made her skin crawl.

**\- Inn -**

"One room, please. It is for her by the way. It's for a week." Henry spoke to the lady at the front desk of the in.

"Of course." The lady nodded and handed Sophia the keys.

"Where will you be going?" Sophia asked as the two began to head to the stairs and walk-up.

"I got some work to do. Make sure to stay here. And one, for your safety." Henry smiled as they arrived in the room.

They opened the door and inside was a simple cottage. A nice bed with silk red blankets and covers. A bathroom that unfortunately had a hideous color of lemon yellow. A couch, a freaken bear rug, and there was a fruit bowl also.

"You'll stay here for the week. Once the messenger of the market contacts me, I'll go pick up your money." Henry said as he saw her walk to a table and place the cages there.

"Alright. And thank you again. I'll pay you back." Sophia said as she took off the black clothes on the cages.

"Just stay here for now! And by the way, if you want any food, touch the crystal ball on the table and they'll take your order. Be back soon!" Henry smiled and waved as he left.

Sophia let go a sigh as he left, looking around the room. It was alright, she had to admit it reminded her of a noble’s room. She noticed that Henry left the bag of peaches and oranges they were gifted a few days ago and picked the fruits up. Peeling the orange, she walked to the cage and opened it. The aerials, despite being depressed, their eyes lit up like candles as she gave them a slice. She gave the other half to the vodyanoi after she opened the glass coffin. She let go of a sigh of relief as they were eating and began peeling a few peaches. She cut them to bite size and left them on a plate for them to eat. Sophia smiled softly as she stood up and left to the mirror near the hallway.

"Ha..." she muttered as she noticed some strange stones on it, "Well what do you know, runes. I didn't think I would see these ever again." She chuckled and turned back to head to the living room but...

_"Oh! So, it wasn't our imagination!"_

_"She knows runes!"_

_"Smart little lass!"_

_"I smell a strange smell."_

Sophia had to take three steps back quickly because she was met with multiple pairs of eyes. One Ariel had green color feather hair, one had pink and the other orange. Vodyanoi giggled as it circled her, happily.

" _You left the cage open on purpose. Why?_ " The orange hair Ariel narrowed her eyes.

" _Calm down Sidi! Let the little nymph relax a bit_." The green hair one said, " _It's obvious it's her first time speaking to our kind_."

" _Listen to Ariel!_ " The pink-haired one said.

" _So, why did you leave the cage open and even feed us?_ " The orange-haired one named Sidi said again.

"Well..." Sophia quickly composed herself, "You're free." She answered and the four looked at her shocked.

"It is obvious you girls don't belong here. You have all been forcefully taken from your homes. I even left the window open so you can leave. Just because I bought you does not mean I own you." Sophia said as she walked back to the table.

"Besides," she picked up a peach and held it out to them, "I'm not from this country anyway." She smiled.

" _True, true_." The vodyanoi said as she circled her, " _You have the scent of someone from a different land, like us. Yet you also have the scent of someone born in this land. Add that you can speak and see us properly, is a rarity. You speak to us normally_." It said.

"What are your names by the way? I don't just want to call you all faeries." Sophia said as the green hair aerial landed on her head, the orange one on her right shoulder and the pink one on her left shoulder.

" _I'm Sidi_." The pink-haired one said as she used her wing like a fan to cover her mouth.

" _I am Aerial. Their leader_." Aerial giggled as she made herself comfortable.

" _I am Windy! Nice to meet you, Miss Saint!_ " The orange hair one giggled.

" _And I'm Aqua_." The vodyanoi smiled as it floated around her.

" _Us three hail from the lands of Ylisse. Got caught by some mages of black! Aye, stupid scum! If it was windy that day, we would have cursed them!_ " Aerial huffed angrily.

" _I come from Ferox. Taken from my home while I was asleep. Sigh...but it will be nearly impossible for any of us to return. It's too far and in this place especially, I do not wish to be caught once more._ " Aqua chirped as Sophia sat down on the couch and settled down on her lap.

" _We'll stick with you for a while. Only natural considering you're nothing but a hatchling in this world_." Sidi huffed and Sophia just handed her another peach slice.

" _Hoooo~ Trying to shut me up with the peach? Smart I must say because they are my favorite fruits. I gladly accept the offering_." Sidi smiled coyly but her eyes lit up like a child's as she began eating it.

"Hmmm...I want to explore or read but sadly all the books here are in the language of this country. I can't read it at all." Sophia sighs.

" _But you could read the runes_." Windy smiled, " _I saw a book written in the runic letters, that should work."_

"Better than nothing."

**\- Palace -**

_Boring._

The councils were always boring and nothing but a battle of politics. Henry was one of the few who had to listen as Lord Validar gave his speech. Gangrel only chuckled from his throne as he listened to the reports of the bandits sent to the borders of Ylisse and Ferox. Henry turned his head a bit as he saw someone he knew.

"This is not only my request but those of the generals as well. We cannot fight if soldiers are sick, starving, not also lacking motivation and cut in funds. They are sleeping under cold nights and no roofs. We propose a 50% slash in the mercenary hire. Those funds could be used on our soldiers than on those whose loyalty can easily be bought with a coin." A young man in his late 30's, General Heriot, spoke.

He is one of the most respected generals in all Plegai and has commanded the army for many years. Yet those like King Gangrel rolled their eyes from their throne.

"The armory would be put to better use. The reports of our war with Ylisse have proven fruitful." Gangrel's voice was sickly and the amount of cruelty in it could not be hidden.

"My King." General Heriot spoke, "We have. We checked the numbers and the resources our soldiers need would benefit."

"Hahaha! Even so, right now our priorities are with the war in Ylisse. Valm will be making another move soon. We need to land." Gangrel spat back.

"I want to leave." Henry heard whispers from his companion.

A young woman with long black hair, dressed as a dark mage. She held a tome to her chest as she chewed the nail of her thumb, frustrated.

"Hang in there Tharja." Henry whispered and the woman just clicked her teeth silently.

The meeting continued for the next few hours and it was the usual boring thing. Henry walked through the hallways as he made his way. Next to him was Tharja, who was silent.

"I'm not looking forward to the next few days," Thraja comments as they walk through the hallways.

"The meetings are becoming more intense. While I am looking forward to fighting, I am NOT looking forward to working with Aversa." Henry frowned as they made a turn around the left corner, "You're heading to the library also?"

"New tome shipment. I want to get my hands on one called _Dark Spikes_. Hahahaha...I heard it is quite deadly." Tharja smiled darkly as they arrived.

Opening the door, the Palace Library was huge. Three floors worth of books as well as stairs. The place was lit with candles to keep the tomes from being read in the dark. Tharja raised an eyebrow as Henry made his way to the section of tomes for beginners. As well as grabbing a few that were in the intermediate level.

"What is this?" Tharja muttered as she saw the man pick a few of the times, "I did not think you were the type to suddenly re-study the basics of magic." She said.

"Hahaha! I get the impression you are getting but this isn't for me. It's for someone else." He smiled as he picked another one that clearly said, _Thorn_.

"Hmmm...and who is this for then?" She asked as she crossed her arms.

"Remember I told you about the little Miss Water Nymph I found?" He said and Tharja narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. I recall." She said and he turned to her with his smile.

"Want to meet her?"

**Chapter 2: Through Painful Sands**


	3. Exploring the Sands

"No thank you. I'm not interested in meeting some child who is lost." Tharja huffed as she uncrossed her arms, "Anyhow, I'm going to search for _Dark Spikes_."

The woman turned around and began to walk away, while Henry just went back to what he was doing. He began to recall that Sophia did mention that she could read runes. Runes were very rare and very difficult to read. They go back before even the Legendary Hero Marth was born. Not to also mention if a rune did appear in the black market of any kind, it would be sold for over a thousand gold.

"Maybe I should show her some basic healing arts," Henry muttered as he picked up a _Physic_ and _Heal_ tomes.

"Hmmm....." he hummed and looked around once more.

Not much he wanted but the other tomes were far too advanced. Perhaps some experimenting would do. Henry finished gathering the books and tomes he needed, putting them in a bag over his shoulder. Exiting the library, he saw his fellow mages and warriors of Plegai walking around. Others chatted; some even spoke a few whispers of him.

"Look what I got!"

Henry stopped and slightly turned his head as he heard a familiar rattle from earlier today. A female mage laughed in glee when she held a small bottle with blue clear pills.

"I have never seen such high-quality medicine! This was worth the 2000 gold coins I spent. Such unknown ingredients as well extremely rare ones. Haha! This _Raven_ sure knows how to make it." The mage laughed as her companion shook their head.

"But something has been troubling me." The mage said as her companion raised an eyebrow, "The fae. They've got...very defensive. I can't even get near one anymore without nearly losing an eye. Ugh...not sure if you noticed but...the element of earth magic...seems to have grown." They muttered.

"Most likely your imagination. Now let's go. Lady Aversa has been wanting us to translate the ancient language of Judral. Ugh." The mage's companion complained as they began to walk away.

Henry was silent as he continued to walk and listened to the mages and soldiers.

"Annoying."

**\-- Training Grounds -**

"Heavy! Ho! Heavy! Ho!"

The harsh sun came down brutally in the training grounds of the palace. Plegain soldiers sparred against one another using their axes. The wyvern riders tended to their wyverns. Feeding them meat to fill their stomach from flying exercises that are needed. Myrmidons sharpen their swords and got excited with a new shipment that just came in. Dark Mages practices firing spells at the wooden puppets. Henry rarely came to this area but today was an exception.

"Alright, men! Offensive formation! Roko! Get that damn axe higher!"

"Yes Sir!"

General Mustafa ordered his soldiers to get into the recent training formation that was taught. While it wasn't perfect yet, it got the job done. Henry smiled as he began to walk towards the group and waved.

"Ah!" A young man said, "Henry We---Ghhhaaa!!! Keep it together!" The man quickly tried to keep the formation together but unfortunately, the distraction was enough for the other sparring team to take advantage of.

Mustafa let go of a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The new formation was going to take a lot of work. He looked to the right and saw Henry walking his way, with his usual smile.

"Hey there!" Henry grinned as he stood next to him, "I see training being wild as always!" He laughed.

"Sigh....this new formation is different." The man sighed as he saw the two now start arguing with each other.

"Did one of your soldiers just jump in the air to elbow someone?" Henry kept himself from snickering loudly and Mustafa groaned.

"You get used to it at this point. Anyhow, I am surprised you are here. You rarely come to the training ground." Mustafa muttered as the groups were trying to form once again.

"Well, it's something important." The boy said and Mustafa turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Remember Miss Water Nymph named Sophia?"

The older man turned to him; his attention caught.

"I brought her to the Capital. We spoke a lot during the 6 days together and I was able to confirm she isn't from any of the three nations. Nor Valm or Chon'sin." Henry muttered as he crossed his arms and looked back at the group.

The soldiers were fighting again. Ah. Looks like the wyvern riders got dragged in. _Poor bastards_.

"So, she is a foreigner." Mustafa muttered, "But why did you bring her here?" He asked.

"Well, she wants to talk to you." Henry smiled.

"What does the girl wish to speak of?" He asked.

"Well, I think she should tell you herself." Henry smiled and then burst out laughing as one of the more tall and dominant women screamed for all of them to shut up.

"Where is she now?" Mustafa chuckled as the soldiers slumped at the scolding they were getting.

"Having her stay at an inn for now. Had her go through a few tests on the way here." Henry smiled at the memories.

"You didn't make that girl do anything unfortunate did you?" Mustafa looked at Henry like when he was scolding Dana.

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Henry quickly put his hands up in defense, "I made her tend the people of the villages we passed through. I must say, I was very impressed. No magic whatsoever. She treated them all with her hands." He smiled fondly.

"Hmm...I might have to witness it myself." Mustafa said as he crossed his arms, "But if what you say is true...I know rumors are going to start spreading."

Henry frowned at that.

"I'm well aware." Henry sighs, "I just hope the king or any of the others don't ever catch wind of them." He muttered.

"She's an outsider. She shouldn't get herself involved." Henry thought, "Anyhow, I'll be bringing her tomorrow here. Should be interesting." Henry chuckled and walked up the group.

"Hey, Henry!" One of the males grinned, "When did you get here?" They asked.

"Not too long. I see you guys are getting hounded." Henry smiled.

"It's not too bad!" A female yelled, "Just if Favoi here got his shit together!" The female shot a snark.

"Come at me bitch!" The said soldier yelled back at her.

"Alright enough!" Mustafa chuckled as he walked up to them, "All of you need to work together."

"Yes Sir!" The soldiers yelled and the training once more began.

Swords, axes, weapons of all kinds clashed against one another. Men and women follow the order of instructors on how to improve their techniques. Once more, Henry walked through the training grounds and out of them. It was time to head back to the inn.

**[-----]**

"Grrrr..."

Sophia's right eye twitched as there was a scowl on her lips and her eyebrows furrowed. She was having a difficult time reading the book written in the runic language. It's been years since she has read the language and she was quite rusty.

"Well, you are not so terrible at this." Sidi commented and Sophia just groaned.

"Hmm......" the woman hummed as she grabbed her pen from her bag along with her notebook, "Let's see.." she looked back to the book, "This one is L but its meaning is Laguz water. This one is...I...next one F...last one E..." she finished writing and saw the word spelled out, _LIFE_.

"It means Ice and Cosmic Coherence. F means Wealth and Mother rune. And E means Twin Gods and Relationships. Hmm..." she lightly tapped her pen on her chin, "Water..ice..mother run, relationships...altogether it means _LIFE_. The cycle of life. How it is born." Sophia smiled softly.

"You got it!" Windy clapped her wings cheerfully, "These runes have existed since the First Dragons came to this land. Very and I mean very few humans let alone mages are even able to read it. Not that we would let Magus learn our language. Foul ones!" Windy snarled.

"Yes...I do recall fae especially are not fans of Magus. Hmm..." Sophia muttered as she kept translating the letters she recognized.

"The first one is _LIFE_. The second one is _BIRTH_. Ha! This one spells _NAGA_ and..huh... _TIKI_. Is this a story about how Naga is Tiki's mother?" Sophia muttered as she placed her notebook down.

She recalls a bit about Naga's history. Closing the book, she let go of another sigh as she leaned back onto the couch. She wants to go out. Explore. Possibly buy new clothing she could blend in. Maybe even meet new people.

"But I stick out like a sore thumb," Sophia grumbled as the four fae flew to her bed.

They made themselves comfortable and fell asleep. Another sigh the woman let out and growled when she noticed blue pigment starting to stain her white coat.

"I really should touch this up soon. I don't need my real hair color to be seen." She muttered and jumped when the door to the inn suddenly opened.

"Hahahaha! Looks like I scared you!" It was Henry.

The white-haired mage laughed as he closed the door. Sophia had her eyes wide as her right hand was over her heart.

"Have you ever been taught to knock?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sophia yelled at him.

"Really?! No! Your death as a doctor should be overwork or washed away by the wind!" Henry laughed back and he barely dodged the shoe she threw at him.

That thing left its imprint on the wall and Henry was beginning to wonder just how much force she threw that thing with. It was with the pure intent of rage and kill. Like how a mother was about whoop their kids’ arse.

"Anyhow," Sophia sighed as she crossed her legs, "Welcome back. Guess work went by fast?"

"It did." He walked towards the couch across from her, "Had to run a few errands but I got some things we need." He sat down.

Placing the bag on the table, he opened it, letting a pile of books spill onto it. Colors of green, yellow, blue, one mysterious-looking purple one, Sophia immediately recognized them. She quickly uncrossed her legs, grabbing the first book that was closest to her.

"These are...tomes." She gasped and Henry smiled.

"You're familiar with them. That's good!" He smiled as she gave him a small nod.

"While magic doesn't exist in my country," she lightly trailed her hands on the cover, "We make our own " _tomes_ " out of entertainment. Like for writing or drawing." She smiled.

She picked her opened notebook and closed it, showing it to him.

"This a regular journal but it was modeled after the tome, _Arcthunder_ ," Sophia said as she handed it to him.

"Very interesting. So, it's a fake?" Henry said and Sophia nodded.

"Pretty much. It's pretty much a regular notebook I use for taking down notes and writing noooott---What are you doing?!" Sophia suddenly screeched when Henry started flipping through the pages.

"I wonder what juicy gossip is here!" He laughed and quickly moved to keep her from snatching the notebook back.

He was taller than her. Sophia is 5'4.

"Sadly, I can't read any of it. Pity." Henry chuckled as he spun around but a small piece of paper slipped out from the pages. He stopped and picked it up. He had never seen such a realistic type of painting? That showed the details of a person so well. There was an old woman with light orange-colored hair. She had a warm smile with half-lidded eyes. Her clothing was similar to an archer except it didn't have any armor on it. On her waist was strapped two wooden chakrams. Next to her was a man who looked about 23 years of age. He had dark green colored hair, a closed eye grin but a bead of sweat running down his face. With arms up in the air and doing a victory jump, was a little girl who looked about 5 years old. Her eyes were closed with a big grin on her face as she held a kid-size chakram in her right hand. Her clothing was the same as the old woman's. Her hair co-----

Sophia quickly took the picture from him and held it to her chest, over her heart. Henry was stunned as he turned to her. The woman was shaking as her usually cold eye held sadness and anger. It was clear to him that the strange painting meant a lot to her. He was able to see something written on the back of it.

_First Training Lesson: March 11th, 2002_

"How about we check out the tomes I brought? " Henry suddenly said and Sophia was surprised.

She thought Henry was going to ask more about the picture. But he didn't. She was glad he was respecting her boundaries as the two walked back the couches and sat down across from each other. He picked up a green-colored tome and spoke.

"Usually I would be teaching you _Fire_ since it is a beginner's spell but I don’t want to pay the bill should we set the place on fire." He chuckled and Sophia pouted a bit as she put the picture and book away.

"First off, we need to test if you can use magic since you did say you come from a country with no magic whatsoever." He said and the fae nearby were watching with a bit of sparkle in their eyes.

He wanted to ask why they were out of the cages but seeing how happy they look now, plus the peach slices on the table, he assumes that they took a liking to his companion. Henry took a small glass piece that was in the shape of the skull of Grima. Placing it on the table, he tapped it lightly with his index finger.

"This magical device is called a Magic Sorting Crystal. If you can cast magic, it will react, and the magic will take shape. For now, let's just see if you have the talent for it." He smiled, "Place your hand on top of the head. Try to relax and focus your energy on the object."

Sophia nodded as she placed her hand on it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then exhaled, letting herself relax a bit. Like Henry instructed, she focused on the item before her. If she can use magic, she's going to be livid. If she can't, she'll settle with the training to become a pegasus knight. Sophia took small breaths, letting her body relax. Henry smiled as he watched, waiting patiently for a reaction from the magical device. And sure enough, he saw something spark in it. It was like a small flicker at first and then it grew. Budding like a small flower that waited for so long to bloom. The magic tool began to glow a bright green and Henry smiled.

"Open your eyes!" He grinned and Sophia did.

However, he did not expect her eyes to be glowing just a tad bit. That threw him off completely. Sophia's eyes went wide as she saw the magic device glowing a bright green. The feeling felt warm.

"Surprise!" Henry gives her a big grin and then the damn thing let off a powerful gust of wind and leaves to her face.

Henry burst out laughing as the woman screeched and then slapped the damn thing, immediately letting it go. Sophia's hair was a complete mess with leaves sticking in it. The fae was also barely holding back their giggles. Sophia glared at Henry, who was a laughing mess.

"Wind and Earth magic seem to be your specialty! Congratulations! You officially can become a mage!" He congratulated her, "By the way," he smirked, "You're welcome."

"I ought to throw you out the window," Sophia growled at him.

"Oooohh~ Now that's nice." He chuckled, "But anyhow, congratulations. Let's start with something simple." He placed an apple on the table.

Sophia noticed the bruises on it, indicating that it must have been dropped multiple times.

"Your job is to heal the bruises on this apple. Like they never existed in the first place." He said and had her placed her hand on the apple, "Like before, concentrate. Focus on the apple. You want to heal it." He explained.

Sophia nodded as he picked a medium size tome and opened it. It was the tome _Heal_. While her right hand was on the apple the left one was on the pages of the open tome. She focused on the apple, trying once more to send her energy to it. Closing her eyes, she heard....like a soft voice humming a tune. It sounded warm and kind, she couldn't help but hum to it. The apple in her hand began to glow a soft green, the tome on her left, the letters on the pages glowed a bit. The bruises on the apple began to heal before Henry's eyes. The white-haired mage couldn't help but smile, seeing the small victory the female achieved.

_Yet..._

" _Hmmm~ hmmm~ Hmmm~_ " she hummed and that's when Henry noticed the small little piece of tree brand on the apple, sprouting a leaf.

The fae suddenly has unsure looks and Aerial whispered.

"( _She can hear the song_ )?" The fae whispered to each other in their native tongue.

A bead of sweat rolled down Henry's cheek as the leaf grew more and suddenly the apple was starting to sprout. It started to grow. That wasn't good.

"Sophia, stop," Henry said firmly and the woman's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong?" She answered bluntly and Henry pointed at her hand.

"Oh..." Her eyes went wide as she looked at the once apple, now a small tree, in her hand.

"Seems I....overdid it?" Sophia looked at him worried as he quickly put the tree down on the table.

He took out a small cauldron he brought and had her place it in there. Well, at least she now has a bonsai tree.

"I must admit. That was pretty impressive but one thing for sure." He looked her straight in the eyes, his own eyes opened, "You lack control. If I had left you to keep doing it, that apple would have grown to a full tree. Not only would have exhausted all of your energy, but you would also have forced yourself into a comatose state because it is your first-time using magic." He said and closed their eyes again in satisfaction seeing the woman gulp.

"So, how do I control it?" Sophia asked and Henry smiled.

"Since it's the first day you are doing this, I much rather you practice at a place you won't set on fire." Henry chuckled while she gave him a blank face, "Tomorrow, we'll go to the training grounds. I'll show you there."

"Alright." Sophia nodded, "Anyhow, have you eaten? And what time is it anyway?" She asked as she looked out to the window.

It was already getting late.

"We arrived around the afternoon so it's pretty late now. Not midnight yet but still late." Henry smiled as he put the tomes back into the bag, "I'll order us some food and we can discuss a bit about magic types as we eat."

"Alright," Sophia said.

Like Henry said earlier, he touched the crystal ball and ordered food. Around 20 minutes passed and the servant brought it, also setting up the table. Delicious foods and their scents made Sophia's mouth water. She had also asked Henry to order sweet cream for the fae. Which they gladly drank and ate the fruit that was in the fruit bowl. The dishes for tonight are a grilled wild boar steak with a fresh salad. Lamb sausages, rice, and bread. For dessert were fruits like watermelon, kiwis, and strawberries. And for drinks, wine.

"This is so good!" Sophia was in utter bliss as she ate.

"You love food, don't you?" Henry laughed at her stuffed cheeks.

"Yes! I rarely get a chance to eat so this is bliss for me!" Sophia said and quickly swallowed the rice she was chewing.

"Rarely?" Henry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well," she places her fork down, "in my country, I was in the front lines as a doctor. Unfortunately, there was a pandemic going on when I suddenly ended up here. Every single day I would be meeting with patients, doing operations, as well as helping with what I can. I oversaw a small clinic." Sophia explained as a sad smile graced her lips, "I'm used to working every single day and rarely getting a break, eating like this feels so strange. I can't relax. I have to be doing something or else I start getting anxious." She said.

"That explains why you looked so shifty when I came." Henry muttered, “You don't know how to relax, do you?"

"Not really. Even on my days off, it felt strange. Yes, I would sleep in but after I wake up, I head straight to my desk to work. I just can't relax. But on rare occasions, it does happen." She said as she took a sip of her wine.

"What exactly would you do when you do relax?" Henry asked as he propped his elbow on the table, resting his hand on his cheek.

"Well, I would draw sometimes or read books about herbs." She said, "I also played video games, but I'll keep that to myself." She thought that last sentence.

"Not bad. Anyhow, let's change the topic to magic." He smiled and Sophia nodded.

"Let's start with the lesson. What is magic?" He began, "Magic is the life force of the earth. We as mages conquer the energy around us and use our thoughts and bodies to make it manifest. Tomes and Staffs help us. It's also a way to help us control the magic in our bodies. Which, we call a magic system. The magic sorting tool you used helps identify if the individual can use magic as well as tell us what that person will specialize in. The elements of magic are Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Thunder, dark magic, black magic, anima, light, and white magic. In some countries, this magic is also divided into two sections called Reason and Faith magic." He finished.

"Interesting. I like it. Since my specialty is Wind and Earth magic, would that mean I would only be able to use magic from those elements?" Sophia asked.

"Not at all. That's why Tomes exist. They help mages cast spells of different elements. Some Tomes are even custom made to be compatible with the caster." Henry said and Sophia placed her index finger on her chin, thinking.

"Is it possible to cast spells without a staff or tome?" She asked and Henry suddenly stopped chewing his watermelon slice.

"........it's possible. But very few can do it." He muttered and she leaned back a bit on her chair, still thinking.

She tilted her head up a bit, looking to the ceiling.

"What about familiars? Do they exist?" She asked.

"They do but very few have ever been able to summon one," Henry answered.

"Hmmm...What about anti-magic?" And Henry choked on his food.

"Where did you learn about that?!" He suddenly hissed at her.

Sophia was caught off guard by his sudden reaction. The fae began laughing to themselves evilly as if they knew.

"Is something wrong?" Sophia asked, worried, "Is anti-magic some sort of taboo?"

Henry looked at her surprised and calmed down, his purple eyes closed once more.

"First off, answer my question. How do you know about anti-magic?" He frowned.

"Well...." Sophia was a bit nervous but answered nonetheless, "Anti-magic is a form of magic that is considered fiction in my country. Many stories are revolving around it. The most common one is that it is the opposite of magic. That it eats away, erases, or destroys. It is a type of energy that destroys the fundamentals of the supernatural. That's about it." She finished explaining.

"Interesting....but for your safety, never speak of Anti-magic in public or in front of any mages," Henry said.

"Why?" Sophia asked.

Henry let out a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Anti-magic isn't well known and those who do know about it consider it as forbidden arts. It isn't talked about. Places like Ylisse and Ferox consider it illegal." He explained with a bit of a worried look, "I'm not saying anti-magic is evil, but it is feared. Because of its fundamentals to turn a mage into a normal human. It's worse for those of dragon descent. For example, manaketes. It's like poison to them. Anti-magic can temporarily shut off one's magic or permanently destroy one magic system. Making them unable to use magic ever." He finished explaining and Sophia nodded.

"It's interesting how in this world anti-magic is feared. Hmmm...let's move onto a different subject then." Sophia thought as she took another sip of her wine.

"What about alchemy?" Henry perked up, "Surely alchemists exist. What about science?"

"I know about alchemy. It's a mandatory lesson all mages must learn to properly brew potions and medicines. Science is also mainly used by alchemists who wish to learn more of the foundations of the world." Henry smiled and Sophia nodded.

"Hmm.....very interesting. Well," she smiled a bit, "please teach me well, Master." She gave him a smirk and Henry laughed.

"Haha! Very well then. Anyhow, let's finish up eating. By the way, which room have you claimed?" He said and she pointed to the green-colored door that was opened.

The fae was giggling at her saying that.

"Damn. Oh well. I'll claim the one with the red door." He smiled but handed her a small bottle, "Found the pigments for hair on my way back here. I managed to find the same color you currently have." He smiled.

"Thank you." Sophia thanked him.

After they finished eating, a servant came and took the empty dishes away. They two said goodnight and headed to their rooms. The room Sophia chose was nice. Fit for a noble but too damn lavished for her taste. The fae had already cuddled up together and fell asleep on a pillow. Meanwhile, Sophia made her way to the bathroom of the room. It was huge and quite luxurious. The bathtubs were more like a hot tub. It was made of glass and she could see some sort of magic tool at the bottom.

"Must be for heating water." She thought as she began removing her clothing.

She didn't know how long Henry and she were going to be staying at the capital, so she brought extra clothing.

She turned on the faucet, allowing the water to flow out. The magic tool at the bottom of the tube lit up and the water began to warm up. She gently dipped her feet in, the water was at the perfect temperature. She then went fully in bliss, sighing in bliss as she drove in. She grabbed her shampoo bottle she brought and placed about a small handful onto her hand. Lathering it into her hair, the suds began to turn blue as she massaged the soap all over her scalp. The woman let go of a sigh as the water was turning blue. The old pigment of her hair began to wash away. The colors of dark midnight blue became pale as she removed the plug to the drain. The water began to drain away as her face was blank, just staring at it. While that happened, she turned on the showerhead, the warm water falling gently on her head. The suds and old pigment washing away as it began to reveal her real hair color. She was silent, taking a small strand into her hands. Staring at it. The color of her real hair held both cold and warm memories. She frowned.

"I need to stop." She muttered and picked up the bottle Henry for her.

She needs to re-dye her hair.

**[----]**

"Today's talk was very interesting," Henry muttered as he wore white pajamas and sitting on the chair that faced out the balcony.

Speaking to Sophia about magic was interesting, to say the least. However, he never expected her to ask about anti-magic. Very and he means very few people even know of those magic arts. Even those of Grimleal stay clear of those records that have been locked away. Those who came from the anti-magic clan were hunted down. Many, like seers, hide their existence and live in the shadows. Or live like normal humans. If one does know the anti-magic arts, they must also be careful.

**Knock, knock.**

There was suddenly a small tap on the balcony and Henry stood up, walking to it. He opened it and saw a male wearing a wyvern mask.

"We have come to inform you that the auction went smoothly. Come tomorrow morning to pick up your awards." They said and handed him a letter with a waxed seal.

Henry smiled as they quickly warped away. He closed the balcony door and took the letter. He could feel the thin piece of metal in it. Henry had to admit, it's been a while since he felt excited. Sophia was smart. That he could tell with what he witnessed today.

He looked over to the small apple tree she grew. Not even beginners should be able to do that. She had talent. It just needed to be let out. He can tell she has been holding back so many emotions.

"I wonder what she'll look like when she snaps? Will she go on a rampage? That will be fun to see! Haha!" He laughed to himself as he saw down on the bed.

_Mages crave knowledge._

_To understand. To unravel and unveil the secrets of the world._

"I'm looking forward to the next upcoming months."

**\- The Next Day -**

"Sleep well?" Henry smiled as the two walked through the marketplace.

"I did. Been a while since I slept on a bed." Sophia said as she finished tying her hair into a ponytail.

"I see you used the hair dye I got you." He muttered and she nodded.

"I did. By the way, how long does it last?" She asked as they made a turn to an alleyway.

Both took out their mask and put them on.

"Should last you for about a year," Henry answered as they arrived at the door.

It opened as they went. Once more, they walked through the black market. It still made her skin shiver but Sophia knew she was going to buy things from her if she was going to make medicine that would be needed. After a few more minutes of walking and they arrived at a desk where a female dark mage was.

"Yes?" Her voice was low as Henry handed her the letter.

She opened it and from it, she pulled out a small thin silver card with the symbols of Naga, Grima, and Ferox.

"Ah. Alright. Let me quickly register you and your funds will be transferred to your card." The woman said and placed the silver card on top of a magic device that was the shape of a leaf.

The device glowed and multiple numbers appeared on it. While normal people would gawk at the number of 3,000 gold coins, the woman just kept on doing numbers like normal. A name was then engraved onto the silver card. Once that was done, the woman handed it to Sophia.

"You are hereby officially registered as a mercenary of Archanea. That card is your mercenary license, which allows you to travel in and out of the country. As well as take jobs in any of the three nations. If you desire, you can take out money right now." The woman finished explaining.

"I'll take out 50 gold and 50 silver," Sophia said immediately and the woman nodded as she was handed back the card.

Placing the card this time on a triangle-shaped device, two number fifty appeared on it. One side said gold while the other said silver. With that done, the woman once more handed her the card along with a pouch. Sophia opened it and looked inside. She counted the coins to make sure everything was right.

"Have a good day." The woman said and the two left, and Sophia thanked her.

The two walked once more and left the place. Back to the surface they were and removed their mask.

"Ah." Sophia said as they were walking through the normal marketplace, "I nearly forgot.”

She quickly dug into her bag and pulled out a gold coin. She placed it in Henry's hand.

"Thank you again for everything. I always make sure to pay back my debts." Sophia nodded confidently as Henry just stared at the gold coin in her hand.

"This is too much." He bluntly said.

"I don’t care!" She huffed, "You helped me out a lot! Please just accept it!" Sophia insists.

"Alright then." He smiled as he put the coin away, "Now!" He quickly held her shoulders and spun her around, "Time to get you new clothing!"

"Wait! What?!" Sophia stuttered as he pushed her to a stall with many different types of clothing.

"Oh!" Sophia did not like how the female vendor's eyes suddenly had a predatory gleam, "I spy with my little eyes a new face. You are not from here." She turned to Henry, "Anything specific in mind?"

"Whatever you think suits her. But make sure it's easy to move around in as well as keep her cool." Henry smiled.

"Of course!" The vendor clapped happily and quickly pulled Sophia in.

The blue-haired woman shot the man a glare before she was dragged away. Her measurements were taken as well as a shoe size. The woman even fixed up her hair nicely. As well as add a light touch of makeup.

"And done!" The vendor grinned and Sophia walked out.

She was wearing a deep crimson cheongsam with short sleeves. Long black baggy pants that kept her cool as well as easy to move around in. Her hair was tied up in a bun with a bit of a few hair strands loose. Her shoes were sandals that were easy to walk around in.

"Not bad!" Henry praised the vendor, who beamed brightly at her work.

"I like it." Sophia said as she did a quick spin, "How much by the way?" She asked.

"60 copper." The woman said and Sophia nodded.

She handed her a silver coin and the woman went to get her change. A few minutes later, she came back and handed the change to her. With that done, the two friends continued to walk. Henry had them stop a magic shop to buy materials they will be needing for her to start studying magic. The next stop was a woodshop to purchase lumber as well as more materials for the cottage they will be repairing.

"Umm....aren't we picking up everything we ordered?" Sophia suddenly said as they were now walking towards the castle.

"That will be later. We're going to the training grounds. Mustafa is there with his soldiers." Henry smiled as they walked.

The way to the castle was through an old stone building that was in ruins. Sophia spotted a familiar rock point and stopped. She looked up to it and then looked around. The place where the ties of fate turn. The giant skull of Grima with broken fangs. The rock point where one sacrificed their life to end a war. Sophia's eyes held sadness as she looked up to it, her hand reaching out. She remembers the sorrow and regret of the scene. She honestly hated how people made fun of it while rare ones like her bawled their eyes out.

"Hey, Sophia!" Henry stopped and turned her way.

He went silent as Sophia was reaching out to the rock point. There was a deep sadness in her eyes as she made her hands go back down. She let go of a sigh and turned to him.

"I'm alright." She yelled out and quickly followed him.

**[-----]**

20 minutes later they arrived at Plegia Castle. It was a pain in the ass walking up the stone stairs that went so high up. Henry had burst out laughing at how tried Sophia was when they finally reached the top. The woman fell on her knees, panting. He handed her a canteen, which she gladly gulped down the water.

"You get used to it." He smiled and she shot him an unamused glare.

The two continued to walk and soon arrived at the courtyards. It was strange seeing the place barren. Then again, Plegia was mostly in a desert area. _Unfortunately_.

"We have to take a shortcut through the castle. Umm....put on the black cloak I gave you." Henry said in a worried tone.

She didn't question it and put it on. The hood covering her identity. They made their way through the palace. Seeing it in person, the place strangely had the colors of black and red everywhere. The grand hallways and walls reminded Sophia of Persian and Mesopotamian buildings as they continued to walk. She saw many wearing black robes, which she assumed were members of Grimleal. The people here talked amongst themselves. Overall, the castle had a very cold feeling to it. The two walked through the hallways but was suddenly stopped when a sultry female voice called out Henry's name.

"Henry!"

The two stopped and turned. Sophia saw Henry's smile become a bit strain as a female walked up to them.

"There you are. I have been looking for you." The female cooed as she came closer.

Sophia was barely able to keep in a gasp as she was able to recognize the large chest woman. Silver hair that was at most elbow length. Tan skin with purple markings on her face as well as her chest. She wore a black outfit with the middle of it open, exposing part of her chest and her stomach in a V shape. She wore a short skirt. Black tights with patterns that were seen through. As well as black shoes with heels. A feather-like collar hoop that connected to her shoulders and metal plates around her waist and shoulders.

"Lady Aversa, how can I help you?" Henry smiled and the woman's red eyes held a look of authority when she spoke.

"I was speaking to the other mages and it seems none of them can decipher this." Aversa showed him an open book.

The pages had strange letters written. Ones Henry and others have never seen before but for Sophia, it looked familiar.

"Unfortunately, I do not know what this says," Henry said and the woman smirked.

"Of course, you don't. That's why I brought it. You and Tharja will oversee deciphering this." Aversa smiled and suddenly put the book in front of Sophia.

"You. Can you read this?" She said and Sophia just stared at it.

"Death....Darkness.....agony...pain..." Sophia thought as she gently took the book from the woman.

Aversa raised an eyebrow while Henry's smile became a bit more strained.

"Sacrificed...lost....sorrow. This is in runes as well as a mixture of the language of Archanea. Tricky." She thought as she handed back the book to Aversa.

"Well?" Aversa said and Sophia shook her head.

"Ugh! And here I thought you got it." She turned to Henry, "Make sure you, Tharja, and your little mage decipher this by the end of July! We need these to summon the Deadlords!" She growled and shoved the book to his chest.

"Will do!" Henry said cheerfully as the woman walked away.

The two watched as she walked down one of the hallways and made a turn, finally out of earshot. Henry's smile turned to a deep scowl and growled.

"I can't stand her," Henry spoke in a low tone that Sophia expected.

"By the way, you lied, didn't you?" He turned to her, "You were able to decipher some of the words, weren't you?" He asked.

"I did." Sophia answered honestly as they began to walk again, "I just chose not to say anything."

"I'm glad you didn't," Henry admitted with a small smile as they walked for a few more minutes.

10 more minutes passed, and they soon arrived at the training grounds. The place was wide and enough for people to train freely. Men and women did their training routines as the minutes passed.

"You can remove your hood now." Henry smiled at her and she nodded.

Removing her hood, she followed him as he made his towards a specific person. Upon getting closer, soldiers could be seen practicing a type of formation. Their leader and the general was yelling orders to them.

"Keep it tight! Stand your ground!" Mustafa yelled and the soldiers let out a yell in response.

The man turned as he heard footsteps approaching and smiled when he saw it was Henry.

"Henry my boy! Glad to see you again. And..." he looked over to Sophia, "It is you. I am glad you are feeling better." He said.

"Thank you." Sophia lightly dipped her head.

"Hey look!" One of the men whispered as they saw their general was speaking to Henry but also a young woman, "Who's that?"

"She looks like a foreigner." A woman whispered.

"Henry told me you wished to speak to me regarding your situation." Mustafa began and Sophia nodded, "What is that you wish to speak of?"

"Right." Sophia nodded as she took a deep breath, "If it is alright with you, I wish to live in the village." She said.

"Hmmmmm....and what is your reason? I can't just let some stranger stay in my home." The man said.

"I understand that. I don't know anyone outside the village other than Henry. And I found out it's impossible to return to my homeland. Henry here told me about an abandoned cottage in the woods. I....wish to repair it and possibly live there. I already caused you and your family enough trouble with me staying at your home. I wish to repay you and your family someway." She explained.

Mustafa was silent as he stared down at her. The small woman held her ground and the man let go of a sigh.

"The boy told me what you did at the three villages you passed through." He smiled a bit, "Very well. I'll let you live in the village. But in exchange, you help my people when they are in need. Are we clear?" He said and Sophia nodded.

"You have my word!" Sophia beamed and saluted him.

"Now," he pointed to the group of soldiers, who looked like train wrecks, "Those idiots of mine overdid it again. Can you treat them?"

"Of course!"

**[-------]**

"You treated everyone so easily. And fast also." Henry chuckled while Sophia gulped down a canteen of coconut water.

"I did not think so many soldiers would be idiots in getting themselves hurt!" Sophia snapped back after she wiped her lips.

"Well, you scolded them all like a mother. To add more salt to wounds you said it all with a blank face." Henry laughed while she just shook her head.

"By the way," Sophia sighs as they arrived at the area where Grima's skull was, "Can I break off a piece of this?" She pointed to a fang that had broken off years ago, now on the ground.

"Uhhh.....sure? Why do you want a piece of a skull?" He asked as she took out the small hammer she bought.

"Souvenirs." She bluntly said and Henry burst out laughing.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Three hard hits and she broke off about 4 orange size pieces and put them in her bag.

" _I'm so going to enjoy researching a way to screw you over Grima_." Sophia mentally thought and began laughing eerily.

Even Henry got caught off by her laugh but hey, you never know. As they chatted as they were walking, unknown to them, from one of the castle windows, Aversa was silent as she watched.

"I've never seen that girl before." The woman muttered as she took a sip of her tea, "I do wonder if she was the mage that was next to him."

She stared back down at the courtyard, seeing the woman talking to Henry despite having a blank face. Something about her made Aversa feel...strange. She sensed it. The girl has magic. Possibly a mage. Yet on her way to see her father, she overheard the soldiers speaking.

_"Did you hear?"_

_"Someone treated the soldiers quickly!"_

_"No magic used at all!"_

_"What?!"_

_"That's impossible. No one can treat so many people so quickly."_

Aversa then thought back to when she handed the girl the book. It was clear by how long she took she may have recognized something. It was for a moment, but Aversa saw the color of one of her eyes. A shade of rubies that faded to an emerald color.

"Heh." Aversa chuckled to herself, "I do wonder what the storm is bringing."

**[-----]**

"By the way," Henry spoke when they arrived at the marketplace, "how do you want to build the cottage?" He asked.

"Well," Sophia thought for a moment, "I was thinking of the structure of a herbal shop."

"An herbal shop?" Henry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes." She said, "How big is the cottage?" She asked.

"Well, from what I've seen, it's about 4 rooms plus the basement." He answered.

"Perfect!" Sophia clapped her hands together, "The first room could be made for displaying shelves of medicines and herbs, the second room could be like a living room. Of course, the third one would be my room and the fourth one a bathroom. Lastly, the basement could be made into a magic workshop where I could do my studies!" She grins.

"Hmm, I like it. And I know just the person to help you with it!" Henry smiled.

"Oh? Who?" Sophia asked.

Henry's smile only grew.

"A good old friend of mine named Tharja."

**\- Ylisse -**

Deep in the forest Ylisse, a young man looked out to the Capital of the Kingdom. He let go of a sigh as he adjusted his mask, also trying not to fall off the tree branch he was sitting at.

"This is annoying." He muttered and perked up a bit when he saw a certain someone finally arrive in the forest.

"Took you a while, Lord _Marth_." The young man said as _Marth_ just let go of a sigh as he held a bag of groceries.

"I told you not to call me that when we're alone," Marth said as he adjusted his mask a bit.

The man jumped down and spoke.

"Can’t do. I don't exactly have the right to call you your real name." The man said as he grabbed an apple from the bag.

"So, want me to call you _Alm_ , then?" Marth teased a bit and _Alm_ just rolled his eyes.

Marth blue armor clothing with a sword strapped onto their waist. And also a butterfly-shaped mask. Their hair was dark blue. As for Alm, he has long colored brown hair, tried into a high ponytail, and wore green-colored armor that was a bit similar to a swordmaster. On his waist, were strapped two chakrams. And a lance strapped onto his back.

"Fine. You win this one _Lucina_." Alm gave her a small smile as the girl smiled softly back to him.

"So, did you get the information we need?" She asked.

"Yeah." Alm said as he pulled out a small notebook, "Chrom and the others will be leaving for Ferox next month. Should take around 3 months to reach it. I'm not looking forward to the cold." Alm huffed as he put away the notebook.

"Nice job," Lucina said as he took a bite from his apple.

"Looking forward to sparring your dad?" He suddenly said and Lucina glared at him.

"Very funny. I also know you are looking forward to sparring with your father." She said and the man choked on his food.

"Shut it." He growled.

"Is that any way to speak to royalty?" She said back.

"Well, I inherited this bluntness from _her_." He snapped back a bit.

Lucina frowned.

"Let's just hope that bluntness doesn't get us killed."

**Chapter 3: Exploring the Sands**

**[-------]**

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**_This story will be updated during my free time as well as when I need to take a break from Three Houses. Chapter 55 is in the works for Shattered Songs of Fate. Also, drop by and say hi to me on the discord!_ **

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**_Link: discord .gg/9XG3U7a_ **

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	4. A Mage’s Beginning

A face with a blank stare, the shadows partly covering their eyes, and a slight scowl on their face, the black-haired woman just stared. Sophia had also put on the same blank face as her. Henry just smiled as he was going to introduce his fellow dark mage. The trio were in one of the restaurants of the capital and had just barely ordered lunch.

"Sophia, this Tharja. The woman I told you about can help set up your magic workshop." Henry smiled and the woman just gave him an unamused look.

"I'm a mage. Not an architect." Tharja mumbled as she looked over to Sophia, "You. You have a strange presence. It's cold yet comforting."

"Oh, for the love of Sothis, please! I don't want to become her second love target!" Sophia internally began yelling.

"But enough of that." Tharja sighs, "You seem to be new to this place. As for what Henry told you, I may not be an architect, but I specialize in creating magic workshops. If you have the materials to build it, all three of us will get it done in three days." She explained.

"Wait, three days?" Sophia muttered, "I thought it would take at least a few weeks."

"We're using magic. Makes things easier for us." Henry smiled.

"But I am under no circumstances ready to cast some high advanced spell!" Sophia looked at him shocked, "I just barely found out I'm capable of using magic!"

"You're a fast learner. It's easy to tell." Tharja commented as she took a bite of her food.

"Sigh...I'm not Lysithea...." Sophia muttered but it seems Henry heard it.

"Oh, you know little miss gremlin?" Henry chuckled and Sophia choked on her drink.

"What?!" Sophia squeaked and Tharja spoke.

"Enough Henry. I can tell that she doesn't. She most likely has a friend of family member that has the same name." The woman sighs, "Lysithea is a powerful mage that lives here in Plegai. Not too far from Farzad Village. Henry, you should introduce her. I'm sure Lysithea would have fun with her." Tharja chuckled.

"Anyhow," Sophia coughed, "thank you. Changing the subject, I heard...you are very good at...creating curses." She said.

"I am. Do you need me to hex someone?" Tharja suddenly had a slightly terrifying look in her eyes.

"No! No!" Sophia shook her hands frantically, "I was wondering...maybe you could....teach me a bit? How to make them?" She asked.

Now that made the others look confused.

"Someone in mind?" Tharja asked.

"A few but I will keep that to myself." Sophia replied.

"Very well. But before anything, let's tell you your fortune." The black-haired woman smiled as she gently took Sophia's hand.

The blue haired woman was a bit intimidated but let the mage work her magic. Tharja took out what looked like a scale and held it in her left hand as her right hand traced circles on Sophia's. The woman's eyes glowed slightly as she could she blurry visions. It was odd. It was like something was preventing her from, seeing the woman's past.

"That is odd. I am not able to see anything." Tharja muttered as Henry raised an eyebrow, "It is all a haze. Ah...now I am seeing something. Ufufufu~" She looked up to Sophia's eyes, "You have many questions regarding the family from your father's side."

Sophia twitched and the woman continued.

"You wish to know more about the history of your family. Questions that were never answered in your homeland will be answered here. Hmm...very interesting. However...what I also see in your future....TCH! What in the blazes?! Something keeps preventing me from looking further!" Tharja snarled and let go of Sophia's hand.

"You!" She quickly pointed to Henry, "Something is within this girl and it is keeping me and everyone out! Whatever is trapped inside of her, you better make her master it!" She growled.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about." Sophia replied in a monotone voice and Tharja slightly waved her hand.

"Matters not. For now, it be best you learn how to control your magic. Too much in your body can cause harmful effects. Anyhow, if you wish to study how to make your own curses, I recommend the books in the palace library. There are a few from Ferox especially that are helpful." The woman mumbled as she stood up.

"I will be going now. I rarely like meeting people but for some reason this meeting went well. Perhaps we shall see each other more in the future." Tharja muttered and left.

Sophia was silent as she watched the woman leave. She had to admit, she expected her to be more...creepy but Tharja was decent. Maybe they could get along.

"We'll be here for a few more days but you're welcome to explore the capital!" Henry smiled at her and handed her a gold card with the Plegai symbol on it.

"What's this?" She asked as she held up a bit.

"I already know you're going to ask me about the books in the palace. Sadly, there isn't a public library here in Plegai because of the nobles." Henry gave her a wry smile, "Just make sure you show this to the guards and wear a veil to hide your face."

"I don't mind." She replied as she placed the card into her purse, "Any warnings I should know about?"

"Ah. Yes." Henry looked at her seriously, "There is an area called the restricted section. No one is allowed to enter it. Only the higher ups of Grimleal may enter. I'm letting you know now because there have been higher up that show no mercy to those that enter without permission." He also speaks from personal experience but that he will keep to himself.

"Alright. Hey, if I don't make out alive, make sure to put black and white roses on my casket before I'm buried underground." She says and Henry quickly covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud.

"Heheh...Heheh......Don't worry! I will!" He grins and the two left the restaurant after Sophia paid for their meals.

**[------]**

It's been 4 days since she and Henry have arrived at the capital and things have been interesting. While Henry is needed in the meetings of Grimleal as well Aversa's research pushed onto him, the two haven't been able to see each other much. He's been busy as well as Tharja. As for Sophia, other than staying at the hotel, she has been watching Mustafa train his soldiers. She made a deal with him that she would treat the injuries they suffered as part of allowing her to live in the village. During this time, she got to get to know the man better. Despite how intimidating he is, he is more merciful. Sophia couldn't help but let her small smiles slip whenever she heard the man talk about his wife and son. How his eyes softened when they would talk about them.

"He reminds me a bit of my father." Sophia smiled softly as she was making a new ointment.

Henry taught her a basic wind spell which she used as her own personal grinder to mix herbs.

"Ah." Sophia bluntly says, "Favio dislocated his shoulder again." She let out a groan and Mustafa laughed.

"You get used to lass! Especially with these men and women! It's how our people fight. The blood of barbarians and warriors also runs through our veins." He says and chuckles as he watches the woman walk over to the group.

She also got to learn about the soldiers as well as get to know them. Some of them _(males mostly)_ have tried to show off but were quickly dejected because she always had a blank face and cocked her head a bit. Purposely making it look like she was confused.

Despite how short Sophia is, she is quite blunt and deadly. Her cousin, Iris, would call her the real life FGO Asclepius.

"Move out of the way please!" Sophia waved her hands and the soldiers moved away, allowing her to get to Favio.

"Ahh! Sophia! Please help!" The man pleaded and without a word, she put the palm of her hand on his shoulder and...

"Hya." The man screamed when she popped the shoulder back into place.

"There. All done." Sophia dusted her hands while everyone couldn't believe what they just witnessed.

She put the damn bone back in its place. **NO HESITATION!**

"Make sure to use the ointment I gave you last week. Should help with getting rid of the pain as all as stop any inflammation on the muscles." She said as she walked back to stand by Mustafa.

"Is she a saint or the devil?" All the soldiers thought while their leader laughed at what he just witnessed.

"I'm impressed! Something you did often in your homeland?" Mustafa asked as she stood next to him.

"Yeah. I used to be a nurse for a while before I became a professional. Can't tell you how many times nearly scolded kids and teenagers for being idiots and playing too tough. Ugh." She huffed and took out two peaches from her bag.

She offered one to the man and he accepted.

"Out of curiosity," he spoke, "do you know how to fight? Use a weapon?" He asked.

"I do. Do you know what chakrams are?" Sophia asked and he nodded.

"It's a weapon mostly used by dancers. A rarity here in Plegai especially. Ferox is well known for their dancers who use swords, but a few do use chakrams as well." Mustafa said and Sophia nodded.

"Hmmm...." Sophia rested her cheek on the palm of her hand, "I was hoping there would be wooden ones to use for practice. Hhmmmm!" She stretched a bit, her bones cracking.

"Arca!" Mustafa suddenly yelled out and a woman from the group jogged over to them.

"Sir!" The soldier saluted as her eyes were like steel.

"Araca here is our best sword user, but also uses chakrams as well." Mustafa smirked as he looked over to Sophia, "Spar with her."

It was a surprise, Sophia had to be honest about that. Her eyes slightly widened as well as the woman's.

"You can fight?" Arca muttered as she crossed her arms, a bit of cocky look in her eyes, "You look quite thin and short for your age."

"Haaaaa?" Sophia raised an eyebrow, "Hell, I may be short, but I can bring hell when I want. Don't underestimate us gremlins." Sophia smiled wickedly.

"Hooo?" Arca smirked, "I smell a challenge? Shall me _Miss Saint_?"

"I have no idea where the name saint came from but you're on." Sophia smiled and the two women went to the training weapons wall.

"Pick your poison." Arca slightly bow as she extended her hands to showcase the weapons wall.

Wooden swords, axes, lances, bows, and many more. Quite a few but her choice was obvious. She picked up the wooden chakrams that were in a similar style she would use. Picking up the two chakrams and also removing her bag, the two women went out to the field. Everyone went silent as the two walked to the center, bowed to each other then turned back, heading to opposite directions. The fact that both women were of few words added more tension to the air. Arca held a little smile as she leaned back a bit on her left leg while her right leg was straight, her wooden chakrams held in a position. Left arm a bit up while her right one was in front. As for Sophia, everyone looked at her puzzled as she stood straight on her right leg, her left leg knee up. Her hands were in a similar position as Arca's but....Sophia had her eyes closed.

"What is she up to?" Arca thought and decided to make the first move.

She lunged at Sophia. She raised her leg and threw a high kick at her but at that moment, Sophia's eyes snapped open. The woman suddenly did a backflip, her left leg stretched and kicked Arca under the chin.

"Guh!" The plegain woman was not expecting that and had to take a few steps back.

Her glare was murderous, but she felt a shiver go down her spine as Sophia had her eyes closed again.

"What is up with this woman keeping her eyes closed?" Arca thought and the two lunges at each other this time.

"What hell?!" Arca internally screamed when Sophia threw the chakrams in the air and suddenly came at her with multiple punches and then did a high kick at her.

Arca was barely able to quickly use her elbow to block the right high kick. If didn't, it had had the full intention to knock her out. She quickly slashed at Sophia with the left chakrams and the blue haired woman bent backwards to dodge it. The plegai woman gawked and at that moment, Sophia quickly stood back up, catching the wooden chakrams.

"Ghaa!" It was a quick match, at most 2 minutes.

Sophia did a cross slash on the woman's chest, forcing her to kneel. Arca panted, and was shivering because during that slash, Sophia's eyes had snapped open. They void of any emotion. It felt like she was looking into a bottomless pit that would swallow her alive. A wooden blade of Sophia's chakram was under her chin, forcing her to look up.

The dark red sun of the afternoon glowed behind Sophia's head like a halo of fire. Her voidless eyes looking down at Arca with no emotion.

"Do you know why I keep my eyes closed during a sparring match?" Sophia's voice was monotone as the woman gulped, "Because I have anger issues. I keep it bottled up inside me and unleash it unconsciously when I spar. Thus, the aura around me is filled with pure intent to kill as well as my eyes." Sophia bent down a bit, making the girl now look into her eyes.

"If this was a real battle, my aura alone would have made you freeze, and you would be dead. I may be a doctor who made the vow to save lives, but I also will not hesitate to bring hell to someone. You got cocky. Take this lesson with a grain of salt. You need it." Sophia smiled and stood back up, walking away.

"By the way," she stopped and turned to the girl a bit, "how old are you?"

"Eighteen....I just turned eighteen years old a few weeks ago...." Arca muttered as she stood up, her head looking down to the ground.

"Hmmm....I'm your senior. I'm twenty-two years old. Turning twenty-three in December. Hmm...you're smart. Got talent to be a great general. But you're cocky. Not good. That attitude will get you killed. Take today's sparring session as a lesson. You need it." And with that, she left back to stand by Mustafa's side.

Arca spirit crushed as she dragged herself back to the group, who were in complete shock at what they just witnessed.

"Kids these days know no respect. Ugh." Sophia huffed and heard laughing as she looked up.

"That fight was amazing! I haven't seen anyone take Arca down so bad!" It was Henry.

That white haired mage clapped his hands as Mustafa let out a sigh. It has been awhile since he saw someone teach Arca a lesson. He knew the girl was becoming cocky just because she was better skilled in the sword then those in his army. But even those with great strength will fall to their demise if they get full of themselves. Sophia here crushed Arca's ego.

"Nice job! By the way, you didn't tend her bruises. Why?" Henry asked as he threw her an apple, which she caught.

"Punishment." Sophia coolly replied, "Let her attend to her own wounds. Should allow her time to think about her choice of words and actions." She took a bite from the apple.

"Ouch. Harsh." Henry smiles.

"I must admit." Mustafa spoke up, "I am impressed. Not many have spoken up against her. Plegain warriors’ pride themselves in their strength but unfortunately that leads to many becoming cocky. Competing to see who is stronger than the other. There are also puts where those who feel ready challenge themselves. Fist to fist." He chuckled.

"You crushed her inflated ego. Good. I praise you for that." He smirked and Sophia nodded.

"Needs to be done. If you can't shut down someone when they are at their highest point of their ego, then they will never take a situation seriously. That is all." She muttered and looked back to the group.

Arca had a scowl on her face with a murderous glare. Sophia only juggled her wooden chakrams as she went to put them back at the training racks.

"Hmm....looks like my lesson went in one ear and out the other. If I have to keep kicking her ass till, she learns, I will." Sophia thought as she put them away.

"Anyhow, what are you doing here Henry?" Sophia asked and the mage smiled.

"Mustafa told me you've been tending the soldier's injuries. You've been working so hard these past few days I figured I reward you with something. You also have been studying the rune notes I have left you so you can practice learning how to read and write our language. By the way, I graded the assignments I left you. 70 out of 100. Not bad. I think you may pick it up fast." He smiled and Sophia hummed.

"So, any place you want to go? My treat!" He grins to her and Sophia thought for a moment.

"Is there a blacksmith shop here? I've been wanting to put in an order lately." Sophia sighs as they waved goodbye to everyone.

Everyone except Arca waved goodbye as they left. Henry smiled as one of the crows landed on his shoulder and continued to speak.

"Not satisfied with something?" He asked and Sophia nodded as they were walking through the courtyard.

"None of the weapon shops have chakrams! I was hoping to buy a pair for myself and possibly maybe come up with some amazing combination with magic." She huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Ah. Sorry. They don't sell chakrams here in Plegai and you would be lucky if you find a set from an import from Valm or Ferox." Henry frowned a bit.

"What about the blacksmith?" Sophia asked as they were now walking down the stone stairs.

"None of them know how to make one." And Sophia began groaning loudly.

Well, there goes her hopes and dreams. Henry couldn't help but chuckle at this, but he has something else in mind.

"How about we go to the magic shop? They make custom tomes as well as wands and staffs for mages. You could request something there." He says and she nodded.

"Hmmm...Sure, why not?" Sophia shrugged, "By the way, what was this about treating me?"

"You've been doing good on your lessons, so I figured I get you something as a reward! So, what do you want?! Anything!" He grins.

**"Food."**

Henry frowned. No hesitation whatsoever when she said " _Food_ ".

"Sophia, I'll get anything else other than food. We have plenty." Henry said and once more, Sophia spoke.

"Food." No hesitation...again.

"Gha...fine! I'll get you food! Anything specific?" He asked, a bit frustrated.

He wonders if this is what it feels like to have a sibling.

"I heard from one of the ladies that Plegai specializes in caramel toffee and coffee chocolate flavored candies. I want to go to that candy shop." It's funny how she looked like a child as she made a motion with her hands.

Her eyes always held joy whenever food was mentioned even if her face was blank slate.

"Ah. I know that shop. The nobles usually buy sweets from there. I don't mind taking you." He says but Sophia knew the frown on his face.

"Henry, you're frowning. Something I need to know?" She says.

"Well, there is this mage by the name of Excellus. Fat man who enjoys using the tax money of citizens to buy his lavish life. Often goes there to buy sweets." He says and at the mention of that name, Sophia made a face as if she was looking at trash.

She didn't think she was hearing the name of the fat pig of Valm. That son of bitch she personally would love to turn to cinders because of how much he made Yen'Fay suffer as well as Say'ri. Sophia doesn't know why but there are always certain characters she would gladly kill. For example, if there is a Cornelia in this timeline or Thales, she would not hesitate to kill, even if she has never taken a life before.

"Is there a specific hour he goes so that we can go so we can avoid him?" Sophia said and Henry smiled.

"Well, luck for us, today is his last visit since he will be going away for two years. We can go tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm taking you to the magic shop." He grins.

**[-----]**

Plegai was well known for its dark mages and often called the homeland of them. Those of Grimleal specialized in dark magic and arts. Illegal ingredients and tomes sold in the underworld of the black market. Higher ups of Grimleal use that dark arts, waiting for the return of Grima. Very few used light or white magic. Still, Plegai was still a place where mages would come to buy their materials. The shop Henry took Sophia to was well known for making custom staffs as well as tomes. Especially for Dark Knights as well.

"Welcome of Istofan's magic shop! My new face. Oh! Henry! Glad to see you again!" The shop vendor, a man named Giga, rubbed his hands together.

"Hello, Giga! Any new stock?" Henry smiled while the man quickly began to walk with him.

"Yup! New tomes from Ferox! Aaahh! I love them! Mostly Ice magic but some rare ones indeed!" Well they left her behind to check everything out by herself.

The shop was filled with many different trinkets that reminded her a bit of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Walls displayed different staffs as well as tomes with different designs. Shelves were displayed with herbs, jars filled with bugs, some even live small animals. There were cages with owls. A whole shelf filled with books and wands. Some shelves also had rings, which she quickly realized were the rings that could be equipped in the game. Henry did also explain that there are mages that don’t use a staff or tome. Instead, they use a ring that is embedded with a magic stone that allows them to use magic. Pretty much if you don't want to use a staff or tome. Sophia kept walking around and not too far, she could hear Giga and Henry chattering away.

"Oh! I also got a new book on how to create more powerful curses!" Sophia quickly chose to go back looking at the staffs.

"Hmmmm?" Her eyes landed on a box of books that unfortunately she could not understand the text on the box.

"Excuse me!" Sophia yelled out a bit and Giga quickly was at her service.

"May I help you Miss?" He smiled and she pointed to the box.

"I am curious about these books. What does the sign say? Unfortunately my eyesight is a bit poor and I cannot see well." She lied about her eyesight being poor.

"Oh! Those are books that we no longer have use for or have been returned. The entire box is half price off. 50 coper coins." He says.

"I'll buy them. And also..." she pointed to the staff that caught her eyes, "That one."

It caught her attention when she first came into the shop but chose not to say for a while because she wanted to explore more. The staff she pointed at was a dark blue one, its pole was at least just a bit taller than her. Its tip was dark blue gem and had the wing shapes of a blue dragon tail butterfly.

"Oh! Now that is a surprise." Giga gasped, "No one has even set their eyes on that staff since it was first put on display 2 years ago. Honestly, those people have no taste because it is a beautiful one but also because it is made of rare materials. I must say miss, you have a good eye. So, the box books plus the staff. That will be 2 silver coins." Giga said and she nodded.

"One more question." Sophia says, "Do you have the materials to make tomes?" She asked.

"Oh! So, you are a newbie Henry was talking about! Worry not! We already have that prepared for you. It is a tradition in all three nations that when mage is to begin their journey, they are tasked to create their own tome. Henry made his years ago. Since you are new, I'll throw in a few extra things on the house. So, tome set, staff and book, total, 2 silver coins and 50 coppers." He smiled.

She handed him three silver and was handed back her change. Satisfied with what she bought; they left the store. Giga hopes that they will come back soon in the future.

**[------]**

"You got quite a bit. Looking forward to studying?" Henry smiled as they arrived at the hotel room, they were staying in.

She quickly went to drop off the box into her room.

"Welcome back!" She was tackled in the face by the three ariels and one vodyanoi.

They cheered in joy as she quickly put the box on the bed before she dropped the damn thing on her foot by accident. Sidi quickly mage her place on her head, Ariel on her right shoulder and Windy on her left. Aqua floated next to her, a grin on her face.

"Gods, we were worried! We are famished! Anything sweet?!" Aqua asked and Henry peaked in.

The fae quickly flew back to the bed, cuddled together, and hissed like cats at the sight of him.

"Aye! The white-haired mage reeks of tarnish!" Windy yelled.

To Henry, he couldn't understand anything they were saying because their language sounded like whispers and such.

"I have no idea what they are saying." He says and Sophia translated.

" _Begone the scent of fell! Shoo! Shoo!_ " Aqua snarled.

"Aqua says you smell like cinnamon." Sophia says.

" _Scent of crows!! Scarecrows!_ " Windy yelled.

"Windy says that she was surprised to see crows around you." Sophia smiled.

 _"Are you an old man? Who has white hair these days?_ " Aerial points at him.

"Arial says your white hair looks like snow." Sophia translated.

" _Say, have you ever thought of being something else other than a dark mage?_ " Sidi says.

"Sidi says you are very powerful as a dark mage." Sophia says and she could see the fae's eyes burning their glares at the back of her skull.

"Huh. Thank you!" Henry grins and the far just gawk.

"By the way, we'll be stopping tomorrow at the sweets shop. After that, a wagon with all the materials has been prepared for us. We'll be heading out tomorrow midday." He says and she nodded.

"Got it. By the way, should I order dinner?" She asked.

"You go ahead. I have to work in my room unfortunately." He smiled and left, closing the door.

"Sigh. Sometimes he reminds me of Iris." Sophia muttered and turned to sit on her bed.

"My, you got many things." Sidi commented as she sensed a servant enter the room and leave the food at the table.

She could sense the white-haired mage cracking joke and the servant just rolled their eyes and left.

"Well, I'm going to be studying. I want to learn if I'm going to survive in this world." Sophia answered as she picked up her staff.

"Hmm....so you are an _Outworlder_? Rarity is so rare." The fae suddenly purred and it felt like four different people were hugging her, "Much rarer than jewel. More valuable than gold. Knowledge of the unknown. Hmmm.....ripe." Okay, Sofia knew exactly what to do.

"I got you all candy." She said and they all squealed in delight as she gifted them each a caramel.

They quickly went back to the beds she set up for them, happily munching away the sweet. Sophia let go a small sigh of relief. She knows the history of fae. After all, she was reading about them because of the books her grandmother had about them.

_"They invited you to their homeland, but they never said they let you go back home. I warn you beforehand. If a faerie invites you to go to their home, do not accept the invitation. Instead, offer them a small gift. Like a sweet."_

_"Yes grandma!"_

Sophia let out a small chuckle as she lightly touched the blue gem. The reason she chose the staff was because it reminded her of Lucina and butterflies. Sophia as a child always loved butterflies. She would dream of times where she could fly freely like them. Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Many cultures associate the butterfly with our souls. The Christian religion sees the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection. Around the world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life.

"Hmmm....How fitting." Sophia smiled softly as she held the staff to her chest, closing her eyes, " _Hmmm...Hm... Butterfly fly away._.."

The jewel of the staff glowed slightly as a small speck of light entered it. The glowing of the jewel represented that the staff accepted the mage as their master and will not let anyone else, but mage use it. Sophia opened her eyes and yawned a bit.

"I better go eat."

**\- Late at night -**

It was already late at night as the moon's rays drifted through the glass of the balcony door. Henry let out a bit of a frustrated sigh as he crumbled up a paper and threw it into the small bowl of fire he had lit up. He and Tharja have been struggling trying to decipher the ancient Loptyrian scriptures regarding the Deadlords. The fact that Validar ordered these translated for an attempt to summon the Deadlords was madness.

"We do not have the power to do it." Henry sneered as he kept writing.

Months ago, Validar had ordered one of the high-ranking mages to perform a ritual in an attempt to summon at least one of the Deadlords. It failed. The mage died within seconds and all that was produced was a puddle of black mud. It was collected and sealed away. The man let go of another frustrated sigh and stood up, heading to the living room to grab something to drink. He was surprised to see a plate with sandwiches and a closed bottle of cider next to it. He saw a note next to it and picked it.

_"Rest, eat well. Overwork, not good."_

He snorted and couldn't help but let out a small laugh at Sophia's attempt to try and write his mother tongue. He had to admit, she was a fast learner.

"Too fast." He muttered as he set down the note.

The past few days the two have been staying together he noticed how she studied. Her working habits reminded him of mages that were in a rush to hear their work done, their life on the line. She would start gritting her teeth like she wanted something to hurry up. The way she studied reminded him of someone trying to survive a dangerous situation. At times she pulls her own hair and would chug down nothing but coffee throughout the day. He had to actually slam her book shut one time to make her eat something. Sophia was desperately trying to learn like someone was trying to kill her.

_"Keep an eye on her. That woman may doom herself."_

Tharja's warning from two days ago came back to him. Henry admits he likes Sophia. Not in a romantic way but she was one of the very few that treated him like a human. While put on a blank face to hide her emotions, he would put on a smile to hide his own. He wondered if she also went through something horrible in her life like he did. Now that he thought about it. He would hear her talk about her family from her father's side. But never once ever mentions her mother. He'll learn about the situation eventually.

Hmmm....." he picked up a sandwich and took a bite.

"Not bad. But needs salt."

**\- The Next Day -**

Waking up was always a struggle for Sophia. So, she would always force herself up, go to the bathroom, and splash cold water on her face to wake up. Not the healthiest way to wake yourself up but whatever works. So right now, it was 10 am in the morning, the two made their way to the sweets shop. The reason for this was because when the sweets are still warm from being freshly made. Sophia's mouth watered because she was planning to buy at least $300 dollars’ worth of sweets. She would be damned if Iris was here with her because she would limit her on buying sweets. The shop looked like one the normal ones in town but the inside of it made Sophia cover her eyes dramatically.

"Too much red and gold!" She says and Henry laughed as he closed the shop door.

Displays of chocolates, truffles, toffee, and more made Sophia's mouth water. The sweet scent was heaven to her.

"Welco---oh it's you."

The two turn to see a young woman, maybe in her late 20's, growing at the sight of Henry.

"Hello Defa! I missed you **BERRY** much! Hope you have a **SWEET** deal for us today! Nyahaha!" Henry laughed and the poor woman just began groaning out loud.

She was debating if she stabbed him or kicked him out. Which was a bad idea because he was one few customer that would pay good money for the candies here. Defa turned and raised an eyebrow as she saw Sofia eyeing the display of chocolate covered honey toffee.

"New face. How can I help you?" The woman quickly put on a smile as she made her way from the counter to Sofia's side.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Henry yelled a bit and Defa just made a shoo motion with her hand.

"Anyhow!" Defa quickly turned back to Sophia, "I see you are new here! I highly recommend the caramel toffee as well as the chocolate tarts and melon hard candies."

"Hmmm....Do you have sweets in boxes already? I want to buy two boxes of each." She says.

Caramel chocolates, chocolate covered toffee, honeycomb, the different chocolate flavors sample box, peanut butter cups. White chocolate, mint, cherry taffy, pistachio candies. Tea flavored scones, hazelnut covered almond and macadamia nuts, white chocolate cookies, and tea flavored cookies, butter cookies, lastly tea flavored chocolates box. Defa became still as a stone. No one has ever ordered that many sweets before. Well...except Lysithea.

"Two of each of those you just named correct?" The woman shook as she wrote down the list.

"Yes. How much will it be?" Sophia asked and the woman quickly tallied up the price.

"5 silver coins." Defa barely to say.

Sophia nodded and handed her...3 gold coins. Defa looked ready to faint till Sophia held her hand, a look of empathy on her face.

"Miss Defa, I can tell you and your staff put a lot of work and love in these sweets. Please accept the gold coins and use them to treat yourself and the staff to a vaccination or something. Also, thank you for putting up with whatever treatments you've shoulder. You are an amazing woman." Sophia smiled warmly.

"IT'S A SAINT!"

Everyone in the back room, the staff, boomed out loudly while Sophia just sweat drops at this.

"What's up with everyone calling me a Saint? Ugh. I'm more like the Ashen Demon." Sophia thought and jumped back when Defa was wailing suddenly.

"Thank you so much! No one has ever been so kind to me!" And right to work the woman went to get her order.

**\- 2 hours later -**

She didn't think ordering that many sweets would be so many boxes. Eh, you win some you lose is what she always says. Sophia and Henry finished loading the last crate filled with fruits and vegetables onto the wagon.

"Enough to help the villages. You're a saint." Henry smiled as he jumped on the wagon and sat next to her.

Their two horses began pulling the wagon. All the materials needed were loaded with other things. Sophia gave Henry a glare. Being called Saint only brought forth bad memories but she kept her mouth shut.

"Anyhow, going to share those sweets? I'm just **DYING** to try them! Nyha!" He grinned and she shoved scone into his mouth.

Poor bastard didn't see that coming.

**\- 6 Days later -**

Six days passed as they traveled through the scorching heat of the desert. Stopping at the villages to deliver supplies, which was a huge surprise to the people but also greatly appreciated. Again, this time with a bit more equipment and medicines she made; Sophia once more treated her patients. Surprisingly, this time Henry was helping her. Even though she didn't voice it, she was grateful he was taking his time to teach her about more of this world. As for Aqua, Sidi, Windy and Aerial, the four have decided to stay with her. They got attached to her and felt safe. They still hissed at Henry like cats though. The group arrived around midday at Frazad Village. The wagon was left at the edge of the forest since it was closer to the old cottage.

"We'll be exploring the forest!" The fae chirped and dashed with glee into the forest.

Sophia chuckled and walked into the village gates. The two greeted villagers and headed straight to Ahura's home. The walk lasted for a few minutes as they arrived at the stone house. The wooden doors burst open and out came Dana running to them. A wide grin on his face, his front tooth missing.

"Henry! Welcome home!" The boy pounced into the mage's arms and Henry spun him around in the air.

"I'm back Dana! Ya miss me?" Henry grins as he puts the boy down as Ahura walks towards Sophia.

"Welcome back!" Ahura smiled, "How was your time in the capital? Were you able to speak to my husband?" She asked.

"Thank you, Ahura. It was nice being there. And yes, I was able to speak with your husband." Sophia gave her a small smile, "He allowed me to live here in the village. Once more, thank you for letting me stay here and for treating me well." She gave her a polite bow.

"I'm glad you are allowed to stay. And it is alright. By the way, you both must be hungry! I made lunch already! Come!" The woman grinned thr trio followed behind her.

Talking to Ahura and Dana felt comforting. It felt like she was talking to her aunt ( _from her father's side_ ) and her little cousin. It brought a feeling of homesickness, but Sophia kept to herself as her and Henry told them about what they did in the capital. Dana was excited to learn that Sophia was going to learn magic and began begging Henry to teach him. Henry has been teaching him how to read and wite and has thought of Dana as a younger brother. They also spoke about how they will be repairing the old cottage in the forest. Ahura said that an old woman used to live there but left 20 years ago to who knows where. The two also spoke about the villages they passed through and what was done. Ahura was greatly surprised by this but thanked the two because she has been worried about the people lately. After they finished eating, Sophia and Henry made their way to the forest.

Despite the village being a desert area, surprisingly, the forest was lush green and fully of different vegetation. No one knows why the forest is full of life but there is an old story that once a worshiper of the mother earth Mila, once lived there. She made the forest bloom with life so the people may be able to eat. Pine trees, oak ones, even giokos, and other plants she knows. Past a small stream they walk. Birds chirping happily as they walked. Small little critters and insects scurry around. She was surprised to see woolly bugs and a few other fae living here. She could hear their whispers while to Henry they just sounded like crickets and other bugs making noises. They soon arrived at the old cottage. Sophia remembers when she saw the huge tree but was surprised to see the bottle part of it was a cottage.

"It's beautiful." Sophia muttered at the two and made their way to it.

Slowly, they pushed open the wooden door, allowing the dust and air to go out. Inside was empty, safe for a few shelves that had closed jars and books covered in cobwebs. A few vines grew over the glass window, which Henry pulled off. This allowed the sunlight to enter and illuminate the room. Dust could be seen because of the sun's ray yet the more they walked in, the more they discovered.

"For certainly, a mage once lived here." Henry muttered as he looked over to his room with the door open.

Inside was just the wood frame of a bed but the desk was rolls of parchment paper covered in dust. Dried up an ink bottle with quills in them. An old journal with some dried-up flowers in it. While Henry kept looking around, Sophia found that the old cottage has about 5 rooms and one that leads underground. There was a staircase that she found and being the brave little shit, she is sometimes, decided to venture down there.

She carried the dagger she bought in case something tried to attack her. The walls were made of stone and the stairs soon led to another door. She carefully opened it, but what caught her off guard was that there was a green House here. A different variety of herbs grew along with flowers, trees, bushes and such. But something felt off. Unfortunately, since she was just beginning to learn magic, she could not sense someone was watching her.

"These are green tea bushes..." Sophia muttered as she walked up to the one of the bushes and then looked around, "None of the plants are overgrown and looks like someone has been taking care of them." She said and gently touched it.

"But Ahura said this place was abandoned. Has so---!!!" She suddenly felt the pointed tip of something on the back of her neck and froze.

"Don't move."

A cold female voice spoke calmly as Sophia gulped. Whoever this female was, they were not happy.

"Carefully raise your hands up." The order and Sophia nodded as she slowly did as instruct.

"Who sent you? Are you a spy of Grimleal or Valm?" They said in a low tone and Sophia shook her head.

"No...and no....I was told...the cottage was abandoned and received permission from the village chief to repair it and live here." Sophia said carefully and the female just narrowed her eyes.

"Is that so?" The female just hummed, "Turn around, slowly." Still keeping whatever, she pointed at her in place.

Slowly, Sophia turned around and looked up to the person threatening her. Long elbow length light purple hair with two long bangs tied with tassels. A purple veil on the back of her head. Light pink colored eyes narrowed as Sophia had a better look at her. She wore knee length purple colored dress with a purple and long white colored sleeve. The edges of her dress were lace in the color of gold. Lastly, she white tights with black shoes that had low heels. The staff she held was in the shape of a crescent moon with a black jewel. Sophia knew who this was. She couldn't believe it. Meeting them in the flesh.

"Lysithea, what in the name of Naga are you doing?!"

The purple haired girl quickly spun around to see Henry running towards her. Sophia quickly took that moment to put her hands down and lunged at the girl. Lysithea screeched when she was suddenly put face down on the ground, her hands held behind her back.

"Get off of me!" The girl yelled, her eyes glowing purple to show how furious she was.

"Sophia, I understand you nearly got killed but Lysithea is not our enemy. Let go of her." Henry said carefully as Sophia just gave him an unsure look.

"You realize she could use Luna on me?" She says and Lysithea's eyes went wide, looking back at her.

"How do you know about that spell huh?! Are you from Rosanne also!? Did that coward Virion send you or Cherche?!" Lysithea snarled and Sophia shook her head.

"No, no, and no. Look, I'm sorry. This is a misunderstanding. I'll let you go if you promise not Dark Spike me. Deal?" Sophia says and Lysithea glared.

"You have strange magic...you are not lying. Fine, I'll listen." And with that, Sophia gently let go of her.

Lysithea stood up and dusted herself, grabbing her staff. She shot Sophia a glare and turned to Henry.

"Speak. Why are you here?" Lysithea growled as she crossed her arms.

"First, let me introduce my friend here." Henry smiled as he motioned his hand to Sophia, "This is Sophia. She's a foreigner. Mustafa has allowed her to live in the old cottage here. Also, what are you doing here anyway? I thought you were in the other village." He says and Lysithea huffed.

"None of your business. Anyhow," she turned to Sophia, "I have been taking care of the garden here for the past two years! Didn't think someone was ever going to live here. My name is Lysithea von Ordelia. I left Rosanne two years ago. As for your question Henry, I no longer live in Higa Village." She muttered.

"What happened?" He asked and she let go of a huff.

"Valm spies. They tried to kidnap me. I didn't want the village to be in danger, so I packed all my things and left. Been living here in the forest." She sighs and turns to Sophia, "Hmph. You do not seem much. And I can tell you are a completely newbie in magic." She glared.

"Look, I really am sorry. I didn't mean to knock you down. But I understand why you did it. Sigh...." Sophia dug through her purse and took out a small box with green ribbon, "Take this. We'll call it even." She says.

Lysithea raised an eyebrow but took the box. She opened it and her eyes looked up like candles once she realized what was in it.

"T-These are the limited-edition chocolate covered honey toffees!" Lysithea then gasped as she heard Henry snort and Sophia looked at her warmly.

"Cough!" She coughed, "Very well then, I accept your apology. However, I do ask you to tell me your story to clean up any other misunderstandings we may have in the future."

So, the trio went back up to the surface and Henry went to get the wagon with the materials to repair the cottage. For now, Sophia and Lysithea cleaned up a wooden table from dust along with a chair to sit down. Sophia explains to her the same story she told Henry and Mustafa and his family. How she got here as well as receiving permission to live here in the cottage. Lysithea nodded and apologized for the misunderstanding. As for Lysithea, she explained that she fled from Rossane two years ago. Like in the original story, it was the first country to fall to Walhart's invasion. House Ordelia used to serve House Virion, but her family was killed in the war. She was the only survivor and learned that Virion also fled Rossane. Everyone in her country thinks everyone from House Ordelia is dead and she prefers it that way. She managed to land here in Plegai and settle for the past two years. Unfortunately, about months ago, word reached her that Virion has found out she is alive and has been trying to track her down. And those of Valm have been trying to kidnap her to force back to serve Walhart since she was known as the most powerful mage of all three countries.

"It's a complete exaggeration!" Lysithea fumed as she munched on a toffee, "I am not as some Holy Magus that my people believe, and I am angry they saw me that way! Ha! And they laughed behind our House's back and tried to earn my favor. And when my family was killed, none even tried to help me! Curse them!" She growled and Sophia tried to calm her down.

"I understand how angry you feel but don't you want to save your people?" Sophia asked.

"I want to avenge my family, but I alone cannot do that. Walhart is far too powerful and only wishes conquest. My family was shunned because we worshipped Mother Earth, Mila. The people of Valm worship the Divine Dragons. We worshipped Mila. Sigh...it is difficult when your father comes from the side that once worshipped Duma and your mother from the side that worships Mila." Lysithea let go of a sigh and Sophia gave her a pat on the head.

"But you've made it this far. That shows how much you want to live. Even if you had to flee in silence, you still worry for your people." Sophia gave her a small smile and Lysithea gave one back to her.

"Anyhow, I think it will be best if I leave. I'm not sure how the others would react if I was here." Lysithea stood up.

"Wait." Sophia spoke, "I know we just met but how about you live here with me?" Lysithea looked at her with wide eyes, "You said you have been living here in the forest and I think be better you have a roof over your head."

".........." Lysithea looked at her unsure.

"How about I make a deal?" Sophia sighs, "I give you a roof over your head in exchange you teach me Dark and Black magic." She says.

"You are serious." Lysithea muttered.

"I am." Sophia stood up, "Also, this place is protected by the fae and I know for a fact they will not allow any harm to befall you." She says.

"True....I am a Faerie Doctor after all." Lysithea sighs and looks back at her with a small smile, "Alright. I accept. But one more thing." She says, "Would you...teach me about the medical practices from your homeland? I struggle with healing magic at times." She admitted shyly.

"Deal." Sophia grins and the two shook hands.

At that moment, the door opened, and the two girls turned to see Henry.

"Ummm....did I interrupt something?" He asked and both women just chuckled.

"No. You're fine Henry. By the way, how long will it take to repair the cottage?" Sophia asked as they walked towards him.

"Well, considering Tharja isn't here, we'll be doing it by hand. A few of the villagers offered to help as a thank you for the fruits and vegetables you gave them. Should take about three weeks. The end of this month _(April)_ it should be done." He said and looked over to Lysithea.

"You're going to live here with her, aren't you?" He smiled.

"Yes! Got a problem?" Lysithea glared.

"Not really. But means you'll have to contribute~" he sang and Lysithea just rolled her eyes but nodded.

Sophia was looking forward to the time she will be spending here.

**Chapter 4: A Mage’s Beginning**

**[------]**

****

**_Chapter 4 is done! Thank all for the positive response as well as support. Thank you all. Look forward to Chapter 5 as well as Chapter 57 for Shattered Songs of Faith._ **

****

**_Timeline:_ **

****

**_Sophia arrived in the beginning of February_ **

**_Two weeks passed and slept through the rest of February and slept through all of March._ **

**_Woke up on April 10th._ **

****


	5. A Traveler's Start

"Careful with the ladder, Lysithea. Don't want you falling~" Henry chuckled as he was busy bringing in the wooden boxes into the cottage.

"Oh shush!" Lysithea looked down at him from the latter she was on, "I'm being careful! Besides, I am not a child. I'm 20 years old!" She huffed as she finished putting in the last book onto the shelf.

"Whaa! Its looks so pretty in here!" Dana grins as he peaked in through the window.

He was outside with Sophia, picking weeds that had grown around the cottage.

"Hard to believe we're done. I never would have thought I would be actually living here." Sophia hummed as she fixed her straw hat.

Today, the weather decided to be a bitch. The sun was coming down hard but then again, it's always hot in Plegai. It's been 2 weeks since she was given permission to live in Farzad village and so far, it's been going great. Sophia was able to get to know each and everyone one of the villagers as well as meeting the kids. Honestly, she had fun playing with them. And like before, she will be the herbalist of the village and help out in medicine when she can. Lysithea also said if any bandits even try to set foot here, she would personally Dark Spike them. Well, that spell is her favorite. Around 6 of the villagers were wood carpenters and helped the trio fix the cottage up. The rooms have been fixed plus one more built. Lysithea personally took care of the underground greenhouse and Henry has been having fun teaching Dana how to use some magic. As for Sophia...

"Last herb jar in place." She nodded her head proudly as she looked around the room.

Shelves filled with jars of herbs. One of the walls was made similar to the herb shelf from Spirited Away. Books, scrolls, and such were also set up nicely. The window had an edge where flowers grew. Cute potted plants hung from the ceilings along with lanterns Lysithea personally made. There were also jars filled with sweets. The next room was the kitchen, then two bedrooms and of course, the bathroom. The stairs that led to the underground greenhouse, Lysithea showed that there was also another giant room. The girls were excited to see it used to be a magic lab and dragged Henry along to help clean it up. Tools were cleaned and polished till they sparkled. Books organized and cobwebs cleaned. Though Henry caught all the spiders in a jar and scared the girls with it. That man had to run for his life the minute Lysithea's hand started glowing black.

"Pull that stunt again and I'll use Death Γ on you!" Lysithea roared and the man just laughed as he ran away.

"Pfft! Hahaha!" It was rare for Sophia to laugh but moments like this always brought her joy.

"Now you two, calm down." She says with a small smile on her face, "Let's finish up here. By the way, Lysithea, you said there was another place you wanted to show me about the cottage?"

"Oh right!" Lysithea gasped and the girls went back to cleaning.

They made sure not a speck of dust remained as they cleaned and made sure everything was organized. 20 minutes later, the girls were proud of their work while Henry walked Dana home.

"Now come!" Lysithea took Sophia's hand excitedly, "Let me show you!" And the girl led Sophia upstairs and out of the back door.

The cottage also had a backyard, which Sophia appreciated. Flowers and trees that provided shade, even a small lake that the fae absolutely loved. They walked a bit more and soon arrived at what looked like an old stable.

"I found this old stable last year." Lysithea smiled, "Used some magic to fix it and have been using it for a while. Opal!" She yelled out a bit and snorts were heard.

Sticking their head out of the open area of the door, was a jet-black horse but Lysithea quickly went to open the door and that horse turned out to be a pegasus. This was Sophia's first time seeing a pegasus. Story book images were nothing compared to seeing it in flesh and blood.

"This is Opal! My trusted partner who I raised since I was a child." The pegasus had a beautiful black feather wings that reminded Sophia of jewels.

"She's beautiful." Sophia answered as she took a step closer, "This is my first time seeing a pegasus in person."

"Do they not have pegasus in your homeland?" Lysithea asked as she gently placed Sophia's hand on Opal's head.

The black pegasus gently nuzzled her hand.

"Sadly no. Pegasus, wyverns, dragons, griffons and magic and such are all things of fairy tales my homeland. Magic and such do not exist there." Sophia answered as she continued to pet Opal.

"So, you are basically saying your homeland had no magic whatsoever?! How is that even possible?! The flow of magic is through all Archanea as well as the world! Still, it is fascinating to hear that you and your people were able to live normally with no aid of magic." Lysithea looked at her shock as Sophia shrugged.

"I lived a decent life. Middle class in my old home. Pretty much a commoner. The world is run by commoners and the nobility has pretty much died out. Only one percent live and for royal bloodlines, those died out as well, but their descendants do live on. Living normal lives like all of us." Sophia explains and feeds Opal a carrot.

"Interesting. Somehow the life of your homeland sounds more relaxed and well. Was there war?" Lysithea asked and Sophia frowned.

"In my home....there are 7 different continents. All made of different people and governments. It wasn't perfect, but the world leaders created peace treaties and such. While there is peace, in some countries, wars still lives on. Sigh....I was someone who would be sent to the frontlines to help the wounded. I've seen death so many times, I'm almost numb to it. But....the deaths that left the most impacts on me..were my grandmother's, father's and two siblings of mine." She muttered as the two began to walk back to the cottage.

"I do not hear you speak of your mother. Did she also pass away?" Lysithea asked and Sophia stopped, turning to her with a sinister smile.

"Oh, she's dead. And I hope that bitch rots in hell." She says and turns back to go inside.

It was obvious to Lysithea with the way Sophia spoke, that the woman despised her birth mother and was happy she was gone. She did wonder if the woman treated her horribly. But for right now, Lysithea decided to refrain herself from asking.

"By the way," Sophia spoke up, "Henry is bringing a nice slab of pork over today. I was thinking of making a dish from my homeland. You are fine with spicy foods, right?" She asked.

"As long as it's not too spicy, where I am crying, I'll eat it!" Lysithea nods her head.

**[------]**

"I'm back!" Henry grins as he walks in and closes the door, "( _Whistles_ ) The place looks amazing!"

"We're in the kitchen!" Sophia's voice rang out from the other room and the mage went there, "Glad to see you back. I was getting a bit irritated." She says and Henry handed her the slab of pork meat.

She immediately began cutting it to bite size pieces and turning on the fire on the stove.

"No worries! I had to so a quick check up on the village." He says and both girls quickly turned their heads to him, "Don't worry. Everyone is safe. I usually do a round to make sure there are no bandits. If there are, well, you already know what will happen to them." He smiled but there was another meaning behind it.

"Let me guess," Sophia lightly tapped her lips as she stirred the meat on the pan, "you would use Swarn to make them suffer by being eaten alive by bugs till only their bones remain? Or would you use Hades Ω and have them have black magic seeped into their bodies and watch them whither in agony as their flesh and bones melt to liquid?" Lysithea had a completely shocked face at what she was hearing, "No no. How about having them skewed like rats with Dark Spikes T?"

"Ooohh~ All those methods you just said are amazing! I should try them out when I get the chance! Nyhahaha!" Henry laughed in glee.

"I think I'm about to lose my appetite..." Lysithea coughed a bit.

"Sorry Thea. I get excited when talking about magic." Sophia gave her a small apologetic smile as she was cutting chilies and tomatoes.

"You've improved a lot of the past two weeks. Fast learner you are." Henry smiled, " _But too fast_." He kept that thought to himself.

The past two weeks went by fast. It was now May and the building of the cottage went by smoothly. During that time, Henry and Lysithea both were teaching Sophia magic and how to do it. Sophia mastered the healing spells like Physic, Heal, Recover, and Restore. However, they were now reaching the more difficult spells like Nosferatu and Excalibur. The two mages had to stop Sophia multiple times from overworking herself. Sophia wakes up early in the morning ( _5am_ ) and works out for about 3 hours. Her reason is because she needs to also maintain her physical strength because it also helps boost her magic strength. Lysithea had no idea what she was talking about, but Henry did. There are stories that the human body creates an invisible barrier within itself for safety. However, by working out in such, you break that barrier and it allows your body to become stronger. This was also supposedly a case for mages. Lysithea has horrible stamina while Sophia....leaves them all behind in the dust when she makes them run laps with her.

"Hmmmm....how about Rescue and Warp?" Sophia muttered as she finished cooking the dish and began serving it.

"Hhmmmmm~ Smells delicious!" Henry smiled as she brought the plates to the table.

Sophia called a mild spicy red pork dish with rice and wine for them to drink with. Lysithea was glad the dish wasn't too spicy. Sophia made it that way for the girl’s sake she didn't want to send her running away.

"By the way," Lysithea spoke up, "I am heading to Ferox in a few days. The tournament for the next Khan is approaching and this is also the time a merchant that I am friends with will be there!" She grins.

Sophia smiled coyly.

"I have never been to Ferox. Sounds interesting. How long would it take to get there?" She asked.

"If we were to go by foot, it would take three months. But considering I have a pegasus and Henry can lend you a wyvern, it should take us about two months to reach it." Lysithea said and Sophia stopped her cup midway to her lips.

"Wait, I'm going with you?" She looked at her shocked.

"Well of course." Lysithea raised an eyebrow at her, "You need to learn more about the land as well the people. Staying here isn't going to solve anything. So, might as well. Also, you can take this opportunity to teach me your medical ways." She gave her a closed eye smile.

"Fine. But just to let you know, we need to stop at the capital to get clothing for the cold there. I hate the cold." Sophia huffed a bit and took a sip of her drink.

"By the way, riding a wyvern is the same as riding a pegasus. Except this one can rip you in half!" Henry laughed and both girls glared at him.

"Besides, flying is faster. You can get to the capital in 3 hours." He says and Sophia suddenly had him from the neck.

"You tell me this now?!" She shook him and the man just laughed.

"Anyhow, you do have a mercenary pass, right?" Lysithea said, a bit worried, "I ask because things are tense between the three nations. The Mad King is trying to purposely provoke war with Ferox and Ylisse by sending bandits to raid villages." She explained.

"I have no problem dealing with bandits. Especially if we come across a village being attacked." Sophia says and there was a look in her eye that made Lysithea shiver.

"Good." She says, "I may not look like it but I am also a Sword Master. I have an extra Leviathan sword you could have." Lysithea says and Sophia nodded.

"When are you girls heading out? Wish I could come but sadly I'm stuck at the capital." Henry grumbled as they finished eating their food.

"Tough luck." Both girls said in union and Henry just let out a loud groan.

**[--------]**

For now, Sophia and Lysithea got on Opal and flew to the capital to go buy clothing for winter as well as a few other things.

"You're going to the castle?" Lysithea gasped as Sophia nodded.

"Don't worry. I'm hiding my identity. I want to snatch a few books from there." Sophia says as she looks at her knives on a shelf.

They were in a weapons shop. Sophia always wanted to buy at least a few daggers and needles to keep with her.

"Okay...just...do be careful. If you run into Aversa, run. I'm serious." Lysithea warned her and both women picked for their weapons.

Walking towards the castle while Lysithea went to the clothing store to get their winter attire. The walk was the same as usual except she wore a black veil that covered her face. Passing through the Grima skull, she stared at it. Negative emotions she felt towards Grima. How he brought hell upon the future. How he made so many people suffer. She bit her lip. Sophia knew she was being selfish and a coward for choosing to not get involved with the main cast as well as wanting to live a peaceful life. Even if she knew what the future would bring. The guilt of knowing that Emmeryn would sacrifice her own life. That Phillia will die. That so many unfortunate events will happen. And here she is, the one that knows it all, hiding away, because she is a coward. A coward she has actually chosen to open up to others for the first time in years.

"......." she stared back at the fallen fang and whipped out her miniature hammer.

Hammering away she began at the fang, taking baseball size chunks and putting them into her bag.

"What am I doing?" She thought and was satisfied with what she collected.

Once more, Sophia began to walk up the bloody stairs she hated because of how far it was. Reaching the castle took 20 minutes, a pain in the ass it was. Entering the palace, she always noticed how tense the atmosphere was. It always felt cold despite how hot the outside was. She made it one of the hallways and the guard stopped her. She held out the pass Henry gave her, and the guard let her go.

"Left hallway then to the right. This place is a bloody maze." Sophia thought as she walked the directions Henry gave her.

Arriving at a giant wooden door with the symbol of Grimleal on it, she pushed it open, her eyes going wide at the sight. The library was huge. Rows of shelves continuing as far as the eye could see. About two floors filled with books. Some even floated around. Mages especially were studying. As she walked, she heard a few females whining about the Dark Flier exam.

"Poor girls." Sophia thought as she made her way to a specific section.

Thankfully, she can read the language of Archanea to intermediate level since she wouldn't stop studying it every single day. She still remembers the scolding she got from Lysithea. Down she walked to book allied called "Dark Magic", hoping to possibly snatch a Warp Tome or Dark Spikes T.

"Hmmm~ Hmmm~" she hummed a soft tune as she climbed up a ladder and began looking at the books.

"Hmm...Fire...Gale...Ruin...there is also Silence...hmmm....Ah. Here you are." She muttered as she took the tome that said Warp on it, "Oh. And a book on how to make magic tools. I'll be taking you as well." She muttered and climbed down.

Sophia got what she wanted but there was something bugging her. She looked over to the next aisle of books that were on black wooden bookshelves. She did wonder if that was the restricted section Henry was talking about. She can sense something there. Her magic senses have improved ( _again because the woman is a workaholic_ ) since she worked day and night to improve ( _bitch. You need a brea--SLAP!_ ). It isn't sinister. Whatever it was, she had to admit, she felt drawn to it. She just kept staring at the area.

"Do I want to die.....? Hmmm...no I do not. Guh...." she went into her thinker mode, completely unaware of the presence that was few feet behind her, "Hmm....well whatever it is, it's none of my business anyway. I'm not ready to have Sothis's, Naga's or any god's wrath fall on me." She shrugged and turned to walk away.

Now she senses it. The first thing in her sight were black robes. A dreadful sense of terror began to fill her as she slowly looked up, to see a man with pale skin wearing black robes with gold. His eyes held a look of cruelty as he only looked down at her. She knew who this was because of the goatee and tied up black hair.

"Greetings Lord Validar!" Sophia was scared and quickly vowed to the man to avoid getting killed.

Validar only stared at her and that when she also noticed that Aversa was behind him.

"Ah. It is you." Aversa smiled cruelly, "The mage that was with Henry. Despite wearing different clothing, the aura, you have is the same." She chuckled.

"What are you doing near this area?" Validar spoke in a cold tone that made her shiver.

"I apologize if I offended you my lord. I was searching for a Warping time as well as books and magic tools. I was told they were near this area." She needs to live.

Validar was silent and looked back to the area she was staring at then back to her.

"Who is Sothis?" He says and both females blinked multiple times, "I will not repeat myself."

"I fucked up...." Sophia internally cried and spoke, "Sothis....is the name of a fae, my lord. A fae who protects the people of the land." She lied.

"Hm." The man grunted but spoke, "Tell me girl, do you sense something in the restricted section?" He says coldly.

"Do not think of lying." Aversa warned in a cold tone.

Sophia gulped and nodded a bit.

"Yes...my lady and Lord. I sense.... something." she internally was cussing them out.

Validar was silent and turned towards Aversa.

"Lead her through the shelves. She may take what she senses. In exchange, you are to write a report if it is something unknown." He says as he glances back at Sophia.

Aversa pressed her lips together but did a small bow.

"Very well my Lord." Aversa muttered and the man began to walk away, only briefly glanced her way, and left.

Sophia wasn't out of danger yet because the cold gaze Aversa was giving her spelled her doom. Aversa just walked past her, her signal to follow her. The silence was heavy as they walked, and Aversa suddenly turned to her.

"Find what you sense." The whitehaired woman ordered, and Sophia quickly obeyed.

Looking around the shelves, she slowly steered through the maze of shelves till she arrived at a specific shelf. Even Aversa raised an eyebrow since she did know of this shelf. But she took a step back. There was this ominous feeling she didn't like. For Sophia, the feeling for her was strange but almost ancient it felt. Like it is something she had known before.

"Strange." she muttered and walked up to a book in a glass case.

The color of the cover was a deep black with golden lettering.

"Is it okay if I can remove the glass casing?" Sophia asked as she pointed to it.

That's when her eyes slowly went wide as she noticed Aversa was...shaking. The woman quickly snapped out of it and gained her composure back.

"You have permission." Aversa nodded and Sophia carefully opened the glass case, taking out the book.

The feeling of it, the cover was made of leather, but it still felt ancient. She put it in her bag and for some reason Aversa seemed to relax once the book was put away.

"Good. Lord Validar expects the report in three months on this book so do be dear and turn it in on time." Aversa smiled and Sophia just stared at her for a minute.

"Has everyone ever told you that red lipstick would suit you better?" Sophia blurted out.

"Pardon?" Aversa hissed, ready to go at her neck.

"Please do take it as an offense!" Sophia waved her hands frantically, "It's just...you are very beautiful, and I can't help but think of different make up and clothing that would suit you. Perhaps not a dress that shows so much skin but amplifies your curves with a light touch of makeup to show the natural blush in your cheeks and lips." She quickly said.

Aversa went silent and thought for a moment. This was...a first. Even her own soldiers call her an old hag behind her back _(those_ _died a painful death_ ). She's barely 25 years of age. Still...hearing someone compliment her looks....

"A rarity to hear this." She says and Spohia gulped, "But flattery will get you nowhere. Though...." Aversa thought for a moment, "Is....there a perfume you suggest?"

"A soft scent. Like chamomile or in your case....perhaps a light sweet scent?"

"I'll take that advice."

**[----]**

"I felt I was going to be killed!"

It been a few hours since Lysithea and Sophia left the capital and the females were speaking about what happened. Currently, Sophia was riding a pegasus that she bought from a merchant along with dark flier armor. She named the pegasus, Ingrid. Still, Sophia had to admit, riding a pegasus was the same as riding a horse. Apparently, the merchant was trying to rid of the poor thing because it was deemed " _stubborn._ " Wouldn't obey orders. Has run away multiple times. BULLSHIT, Sophia thought because it was obvious the poor thing hated the guy. Thankfully, she decided to buy it from him and the pegasus got attached to her because of how gentle she treated it. Taking her time, feeding it carrots and apples. The merchant couldn't believe his eyes and before the man said anything else, she slammed two gold coins in his hands. She bought the pegasus, dark flier armor and all of the tomes and staffs he had.

"I am surprised how fast Ingrid got attached to you. Then again, you did say you are good with horses." Lysithea shrugged as they continued ahead.

"You poor thing." She petted Ingrid's head, "The bastard was just mean. Don't worry. You'll never see him again." She says and the pegasus let out a loud happy neigh.

"Anyhow, what was this about you getting killed?" Lysithea asked.

"Oh. I ran into....Validar." Lysithea almost fell off her ride when she heard that.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?!" The woman screeched and Sophia shook her head.

"Thankfully not. But the aura around him, I felt I was going to die. Aversa was with him and that only made things worse. I managed to get on her good side though. She liked the perfume I suggested." She muttered and Lysithea raised an eyebrow.

"I did not think Aversa was into." Lysithea says and Sophia shook her head.

"Let the woman dream. She's in her mid-20's. Ladies like her and us in my home would be more worried about paying bills, dating, finding a job, hanging out with friends and such. Heck even be a model! Pretty much we did whatever we wanted. Pursue our dreams, education, and such. Even if there were many obstacles in our paths, we refused to give up." Sophia says as the sight of the cottage came into view.

"Interesting." Lysithea muttered and they landed, "Changing the subject, we need to pack our things. We'll be heading out early in the morning. Also, I placed a barrier around the cottage. Should keep it protected." She smiled and they mounted off their rides.

Packing food. Medicine, clothing, among other things, Sophia admits, she is excited to travel outside of Plegai. Of course, she isn't going to stop helping people as she prepares her medical tool bag as well as her custom tome she made. The design was inspired by Brynhildr, Leo's Grimoire.

"Ara, ara." Sophia looked to her right shoulder and saw Sidi sit on it, "Heading to Ferox, eh.... Make sure to take Aqua with you. That is her home after all. Also, I and the others went to meet your new pet. She is welcomed with open arms here." Sidi smiled.

"Something you need?" Sophia sighs as she picks up her staff from her bed and shrunk it to the size of a hair pin.

"Not much really." Sidi pouts, "But do bring some sweets. Or snow pears. Ferox is also known for a particular tree that grows fruit in the winter."

"Alright. Good thing I took out another 50 silver coins and gold ones today." Sophia muttered and then stared at the book that was still in her bag.

Sidi hid her coy smile with her wing as she watched the woman pack her things for the two-month journey. She knew what that book was. To think the stench of the fell dragon had it locked away. Oh, she was looking forward to what the future will bring.

**\- A week later -**

It's been a week since the girls left the village and the departure was a bit chaotic. Dana began crying saying her didn't want big sis Sophi to go. Honestly, she was surprised to be called that. She has gotten to know the villagers better and has helped them with medicine as well as travel to nearby villages to treat the people. It was the same process while she and Lysithea traveled. Any village they stopped at and rest, Sophia would get to work by helping heal those she can. Poor Lysithea had to witness Sophia help a mother give birth to child as part her training as well as help with preparations and such. The violet haired girl has been scarred for life. For Sophia, this was normal. Sophia also showed the girl how make the medicines from her old world. Aqua was brought along and help fine substitutes for certain ingredients. So yes, Sophia was having a lot of fun experimenting with new ingredients. Currently, they were at one of the villages where merchants would gather every three months. Despite the hot desert like environment, this village specializes in spices. Spices that grow in dry environments, so of course Sophia was going to buy. She remembers during medieval times that spices were expensive during those times. Especially in trade because of their high value.

"Come one come all! For here I got some amazing weapons and merchandise. The finest in the land, I kid you not!" Bright red hair tied in a side ponytail, dressed in a crimson like clothing that was like the trickster class.

It was that of the trickster class, the signature cape is there also. Anna's bright red eyes looked around the place and sadly today she wasn't getting customers. She let go of a sigh till she heard footsteps approaching her cart.

"Excuse me?" She looked up and saw a woman with indigo blue colored hair, red emerald colored eyes, and wearing black and blue dark flier armor, "I wanted to know if you have any chakrams for sale?"

Anna had to keep herself from gasping.

"The appearance of the woman, it matches the one the girl gave me." Anna thought and put on her best smile, "Hey there! Glad to see something has caught your eye. Sadly, my last set of chakrams was bought a few weeks ago." She says and Sophia sighs.

"I understand." Sophia sighs and then notices a basket filled with strange red fruit.

"Umm..." she pointed to the basket, "What fruits are those?" She asked.

"Ahh..." Anna looked dejected, "I honestly don't know. You're welcome to look. I did try one and it tasted horrible! I don't see how this thing is edible!" Anna huffed and Sophia walked up to it.

"You realize this is a spice, right?" Sophia turned her head to her, and Anna gawked.

"Pardon?" Anna gasped and Sophia held the red-looking fruit.

"This spice is called Tsaoko. This is still in its raw state. The spice takes three years to harvest. It's not meant to be eaten this way. Let it dry out in the sun for at least a week and 3 extra days. Once dried up, pound it to fine powder and it can be used to flavor and preserve meat, fruits and vegetables." Sophia says and realizes she said some valuable information.

"Oops." She thought and covered her mouth a bit.

Anna suddenly had a gleam in her eyes as she walked over to her.

"Say......you seem to be really knowledgeable on this. Any other spices you could identify? By the way," she leaned down whispered, "No one else but me heard what you said. So, you are safe. I'll cut you a killer deal in exchange for more information on this spice as well as a few others I do not know about." She grins and Sophia gave her a rare smirk.

"Alright. First, where did you get this spice?" Sophia asked and Anna pointed to the mountains that separated Plegai and Ferox.

"There is a village between the borders that has no idea what these are. They were discovered recently. The environment is humid, a lot of green trees as well as greenery. Perfect for tropical plants. They also sold me these." The two walked behind her wagon and there were two more baskets filled.

One had green star anise and the other was nutmeg.

"This one is called star anise. Which can also be used for tea." She pointed the basket with quarter size star shape plant, "And the other one is called nutmeg. Used also for desserts but also meat dishes. Just make sure to not to consume too much because it can kill you and lead to medical problems. Let these out to dry for a week and three days. And if you're going to sell them, make sure you sell it by the pound. A jar of star anise with 8 oz, sell it for 20-30 copper each. Same with nutmeg and tsaoko. Each pound cost 30 coppers. The reason it's so expensive is because these spices, you have to wait three years to harvest." Sophia finished explaining and Anna was brimming with joy.

"Thank you! This information is very fruitful! Now, as a thank you, you can choose two things from my most expensive merch." Anna winked and the two jumped onto the wagon.

"I better not take too long or Lysithea will scold me." Sophia chuckled to herself and looked around.

The wagon was set up like a tent and inside it was huge. Like an actual shop. There were many crates filled with a different variety of merchandise as well as weapons. The two females walked to the other end and Anna walked to the red color crate. Taking off the lid, she smiled at Sophia.

"Here! Take your pick on two things! I'll also be giving you a bag of 50 gold coins as a thank you. Say, are you a merchant by any chance?" Anna asked as Sophia was looking through the box.

"No. But I am a doctor. But," she picked up a Bolt Axe that was to her liking, "I am willing to work as a business partner with you. I can give you information that can help you sell, and you get me information I want. Also, I would buy merchandise from you. Not a bad deal?" Sophia smiled.

"Ooh~ I like the way you think~" Anna smirked and extended her hand, "Name's Anna! I'm a merchant but I also called the Secret Merchant. And yours?" She asked.

"Names Sophia Zunino. Doctor and traveling mercenary." Sophia says and the two shook hands.

"Wait, your name is Sophia?" Anna suddenly looked at her shocked.

"Yes?" Sophia raised an eyebrow and Anna shook her head to clear it.

"Sorry. Your name is similar to someone I know. Anyhow! What did you choose?" Anna changed the subject.

Sophia held up a tome that read Agnea’s Arrow and the Bolt Axe.

"I'll take these two. By the way, which country sells chakrams?" Sophia asked as they walked out the wagon.

"Well, if you're heading to Ferox, then speak to any of the blacksmith shops there." Anna handed her the pouch of 50 gold coins, "But the shop I recommend is a shop called Arox. They make the best weapons and are well known there. It is on the expensive side but hey, got make a living." She shrugs and Sophia nods.

"Thank you. Anyhow, I got to go. Have a safe trip!" Sophia says and quickly left because she was running late.

Anna's smile became a bit nervous as she looked the opposite direction of the mountains of Ferox.

"Looks like I found her."

**[-------]**

"What took you so long?!" Lysithea puffed her cheeks angrily as she had her hands on her waist.

"Sorry, got some things we need." Sophia gave her small smile as they mounted their pegasus.

"No worries. We just---!!" A sudden scream was heard, and villagers were running for their lives.

"BANDIT ATTACK!" A merchant yelled, "Evacuate the villagers!"

People ran for their lives as the bandits looted the stalls. Lysithea pulled the reins of her pegasus and quickly charged at them, Leviathan sword held high as she roared. Anna along with a few other mercenaries quickly charged to the bandits. Sophia was still as she only looked ahead with wide eyes. One bandit is cut down. The sword slashed at the chest, blood splattering onto the ground.

"Ah..." her eyes became half lidded, becoming void of emotion, "If you want a quick kill, aim for the chest and head." She thought and a lowl laugh left her lips, a cruel smile forming.

The staff she held in her hands as she pulled the reins. Ingrid neighed loudly and charged towards the gates where they were coming from. The speed Ingrid was going made her blood boil with excitement as she made her way there. Lysithea spun her sword then thrusted it down at a brigand, down the chest.

"Ugh." She thought and quickly maneuvered Opal to charge at the damn wyvern rider.

But it seems....

"PICK A GOD AND PRAY! HYYAAAAAHH!"

It was as if time slowed down before her eyes as she watched Ingrid charge straight at the wyvern rider. Sophia held the Leviathan sword in her hands, thrusting it directly through the heart of the rider. Blood splattered on her face and then again when she pulled out the sword. It was honestly a disgusting feeling Sophia felt taking a human life. She was a doctor. Her oath was to save lives, not take them. Then again, she was looked at as a murderer because there were times patients didn't make it through the operations. A bloody sword in her hand, she watched as the rider fell off the wyvern, falling towards the ground. It was a horrific sight yet there was some sort of satisfaction watching the body fall to ground then the head exploding because of the impact.

"Shit....I'm becoming Henry." Sophia thought and covered her mouth, "Honestly I feel sick, but I'm going to have to force myself to get used to----" she quickly pulled out a needle from her sleeve and threw it at an Archer in the trees.

It is in the center of the throat, causing blood flow to stop as well as breathing. Basically, suffocating him. The archer fell to the ground, dying on impact.

"How many bandits?!" Sophia yelled and Lysithea pointed to where Anna had just finished decapitating the leader.

"None! We won! But there are many injured so back down we go!"

**[------]**

"Needle." Sophia said bluntly as Lysithea handed her a needle and thread, the woman was wearing gloves, despite how she was still covered in blood.

Lysithea cringed as the poor muscular man Sophia was stitching up the giant gash on his back, yelled out.

"How could she do this so calmly?!" Lysithea internally screamed as Sophia smoothly stitched the wound.

"Cream." Sophia was just speaking one-word sentences and Lysithea handed her the tools.

Cream applied to prevent an infection as well as help heal it. Then it was bandaged up to prevent dirt going on it. Anna watched with a bit of amusement as the woman was done and kept moving onto the next patient. Thankfully, no civilians were hurt.

"Hey...." Anna eyes only glanced over to a group of mercenaries, "Wasn't there a rumor lately of a woman who could cure people without magic? Stitch wounds up with her hands, no magic involved." One whispered.

"Yeah...I heard that rumor lately. Especially from villages that have been hit heart. Supposedly the woman would also bring food, medicine and supplies to the villages." A woman whispered back.

"People are calling her The Saint. Another man whispered." Another man says.

Anna narrowed her eyes a bit. She has been hearing the same rumors lately. A woman who can heal others with her bare hands and not using magic at all. She spoke to one of her sisters and apparently the rumor also spread to Ylisse lately. And yes, it reached the ears of the Ylisse Prince and Exalt. She turned back to see Sophia treating another person. This time, she was using her knives to cut open a wound and take out the arrowhead. Whatever the woman was doing, the bleeding stopped, and she was able to properly close the wound. Poor Lysithea looked ready to faint when Sophia was holding onto a bloody arrowhead.

"That's the last one." Sophia sighs as she takes off her mask and goes up to one of the buckets of water a woman had filled up for her.

She took off her gloves and threw them in the air, which Lysithea gladly burned to cinders. Washing her hands, her voidless face kept staring into the water. She began scrubbing harder, trying to take off the blood that stained the edges of her sleeves.

"Hey." Sophia stopped and slowly turned her head to Anna, who looked at her worried, "That was your first time killing someone, isn't it?" And Sophia just stared at her with void eyes.

"............." Sophia just closed her eyes and took a deep breath, multiple to keep her emotions in check.

"Yes. Yes, it was." Her chin up, face facing the sky, "I'm a doctor. I made an oath to save lives.... But I know that in this land....I have to adapt to fighting for my life. That means killing others." She opened her eyes, "I need a moment. Where's the nearest river?" She asked.

"5 minutes from here. I'll tell your friend you need some time alone." Anna says and turns to leave.

Sophia appreciated that. Her space being respected compared to others who kept insisting to her that she shouldn't be alone in difficult times. She always had a difficult time trusting other. The only people she ever trusted were her grandmother, father, and cousin. Her two younger siblings are dead. Her mother can go fuck herself in hell. She walked into the forest where she could see the sun setting a bit. She honestly looked like a serial killer with still blood covered armor. At least she wiped off the blood on her face. The scent of iron she was accustomed to, but it still made her sick. To take a life, the burden was heavy. Reality was a bitch.

"Urgh!" Sophia gagged and quickly rant to the riverbank, falling onto her knees.

She gagged, she wanted to throw up, but she can't.

**Guilt.**

This sick feeling of guilt of taking a life. She should be used to seeing death. Yet why was she feeling so guilty of killing someone? Oh, that's right, she is supposed to save a life does not take it. Sophia began laughing slowly as she realized she broke her oath.

"I need to throw up." She thought and quickly shoved her index and middle finger from her right hand down her throat.

Forcefully she kept doing the movement till she quickly pulled them out and puked. Gods, the scent was horrible, but she didn't care. She wanted this feeling gone. Guilt. Guilt she took a life when she knows those bandits have also been raiding villages to survive. Ugh. She hated this feeling. It felt like a string was wrapped around her throat as she stood up and coughed. A bit of saliva on the corner of her lips she quickly wiped away as she panted for air.

"I need to head back...." she thought and began walking down the trail, even if her lips were a bit puffy.

Arriving at the village took another 5 minutes and she went straight to the inn Lysithea and rented to sleep in. The poor reception went into a panic when he saw her enter covered in blood. Sophia reassured them that this was the blood of the bandits she killed and that she needs to get washed up. They told her there is a bathroom in their room they can use. She walked down the hallway and opened the door, seeing Lysithea in there. The violet haired girl quickly ran over to her.

"Are you alright?! Anna told me what happened and that you needed some time alone...." Lysithea muttered as Sophia gave her a small nod but a blank face.

"I'll live." Sophia sighs, "It's something I need to adapt. Yes, I'll never get used to killing but I must do it if I want to live. I'm not in America anymore..." She said and went to her bed, where her bag was.

"Bathroom is set up for you. I already took a bath. By the way, once you're done, we should get some food downstairs. I heard a few of the mercenaries are gambling." Lysithea says with a gleam in her eye.

Sophia couldn't help but laugh a bit. She knows that gleam. Iris had the same gleam when she watched the girl make a bet with one of their colleagues at a bar. The man lost and he had to walk back to his apartment in his boxers.

"Alright! Let me take a shower and change out of this damn armor. Then, we'll hunt!"

**[----]**

Hot water mint scented shampoo always made her day when taking a shower. Sophia took her sweet time, much to Lysithea's displeasure but Hey, gotta take advantage. 1 hours later, dressed in her red shirt and black pants, and Lysithea in her purple dress, the two headed downstairs to eat. The first floor had many round tables set up for customers to eat at. Thankfully, Anna spotted then and waved excitedly, she was eating alone. The girls got their plates and quickly went to sit with the woman.

"Heya! Feeling. A bit better?" Anna grins as they sit down.

"Yup." Sophia says as the crowd cheered because of an arm-wrestling match, "Still, I took some medication just in case. Anyhow, where are you heading off to after this?" She asked.

"I'm heading to Ylisse. Heard sales been good there so I go." Anna grins as she takes a bite of her stake.

"Ferox. Besides, I have a score to settle with someone there." Lysithea says as she takes a sip of her wine.

"Felix?" Anna smiled and Lysithea choked on her wine.

"So, he exists in this world...." Sophia thought as she just gave Lysithea a coy smile.

"I-it's not what you think!" Poor girl was blushing, " He's a mercenary from Chon'sin. Been living in Ferox for years with a friend of his. All I know is that his friend's name is Lon'qu." Lysithea grumbled.

"Speaking on male mercenaries." Anna grins and Lysithea already knew what was coming, "Any caught your eye? I got a hubby of my own."

"I have only been here for 2 months and two weeks, so I hardly know any men other than my friend Henry." Sophia says, "But I have heard rumors of guys."

"I know there is this one rumor that supposedly the descent of the Hero of Radiance is a mercenary traveling the land." Anna grins.

The girls don't notice that the group behind them went a bit quite to hear what they were saying.

"Oh! You mean the Hero Ike! I love reading his stories!" Lysithea says excitedly, recalling reading books about the hero in her homeland.

"I like reading stories of Prince and Princess Corrin." Sophia commented, "But hmm.....hearing that rumor, I wonder if the guy is as good as his ancestor?"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Both females asked and Sophia chuckled a bit as she propped her elbow on the table, resting the check on the palm of her hand as she closed her eyes.

"Well, Ike, was a man blunt, yet passionate person, earning others' respect and trust easily. I remember reading stories of him in my homeland. He is admired by many there. You be surprised by the amount of fan girls." Sophia chuckled a bit, "Even so, I think he is a kind man. Maybe his descent is that way. I remember one of the books I read said that Ike, despite this love for tests of strength however, Ike takes no pleasure in war and is never eager to raise a blade. As war has cost him dearly, he hopes by his efforts to keep others from losing what he has lost." She smiled softly and opened her eyes.

"You sound like you knew the man personally." Anna says with a smirk and Sophia just shrugged.

"Nope. Still, I admire that strength of his. I do wonder if his descendant is like him or at least similar to him. He sounds....." Sophia thought for a moment.

She recalls a bit of Ike's descendant, Priam. He was a DLC character from the game and never appeared in the main story. Still, she remembers a bit of the support conversations the man had in the game. Her smile grew and unfortunately, she spoke the words out loud that she usually kept to herself.

"Hmmmm....he sounds....cute. Reminds me of a puppy."

"PPPFFFTTTTT!"

Lysithea began laughing loudly while poor Anna spat out her drink, and also began laughing loudly. Sophia just looked at them with wide eyes and coughed.

"Keep that to yourselves. No one heard anything from me." Sophia coughed.

God, how could she let herself say that out loud?!

Unfortunately, the said person they were talking about was behind them the whole time, desperately trying not to speak while his colleagues were all holding back their laughter, barely. Well, looks like he's going to have a word with her tomorrow.

**\- The Next Day -**

"What?"

The man gawked when the man in front of the desk just gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Ya heard me. That lady and her companions all left already. Around 4 in the morning because they want to avoid the heat. Plegai's a nightmare in May." The receptionist said.

"Damn Priam! Look like you missed her!" One of his companions laughed while Priam just sent them a glare.

"She called him a puppy..." the mercenary group was desperately trying not to laugh.

"You guys are looking for Sophia?" The group turned and saw Anna walking up to them.

"You knew I was behind you guys and you never said anything." Priam walked up to her.

"Hmmm...maybe." Anna shrugged, "Besides, this karma for you trying make me cut my prices in half." She smirked.

Priam was a man with dark blue spiky hair with a headband, dressed in armor. The legendary sword strapped onto his back. Anna just snickered.

"But she is interested. I only spiced up the place. But, you'll meet her again someday." She smiles.

"Hmm. Maybe." Priam says and then it happened.

"Like a puppy." One of his colleagues whispered and a brawl ensued.

Anna quickly whipped out tickets,

"COME PLACE YOUR BETS! 2 SILVER COINS! I HEAR 3 SILVER!"

[-----]

"Achoo!" Sophia sneezed as they were flying through the sky.

"You sick?" Lysithea asked as she was munching a scone.

"I'm okay. Why do I feel I dodged a bullet?" She muttered.

"What's a bullet?" Lysithea asked.

"Think of an arrowhead but made of metal and the shape of a marvel." Sophia replied.

Well, it didn't matter at this point. Hopefully, they get to Ferox soon.

**Chapter 5: A Traveler's Start**

**[---------------]**

**Sophia’s first kill. It’s going to take some time for her to recover from the shock. Do look forward to the next chapter.**


	6. Bitter Spice

**_\- Dream/Memory -_ **

_"Hyaa! Syaz! Haa!"_

_"Too low. Ufu."_

_It was so vivid. The sunlight entering through the wooden windows, illuminating the room. A wooden floor the color of a light brown, built to be stepped on multiple times by either socks or bare feet. One wall was a giant mirror with wooden edges built used for people to balance. There was a closet with equipment and wooden swords. A little girl yelled as she charged at the person in front of her. The little girl had two wooden circular weapons in each hand, using them almost like swords as she swung at the person in front her. The person was an old woman, who only moved a bit to the left, to dodge her easily._

_"And game." The old woman smiled as she tapped the girl's back._

_The little girl made a loud whine but grinned at the old woman with joy._

_"Grandma, how did I do today?" The little girl asked as the old woman chuckled._

_"It only been a week since you started Sophia. You got a lot of work to do." The old woman smiled as Sophia placed the wooden chakrams on the rack._

_"When can I use real ones?" Sophia asked as she quickly followed her._

_"Gods no! Especially in this age, you have no need to fight for your life. Honestly, a part of me is glad you and your father weren't born in my homeland." The old woman sighs as she opens a door and it leads to a kitchen._

_The kitchen was filled with the scent of chicken being cooked. Sophia spotted the rice cooker was on as well as spotting a man with dark green hair cutting vegetables at the kitchen counter._

_"Papa!" Sophia grins as she runs up to him._

_The man turned to her and smiled softly and petted her head._

_"Hey there. Finished training?" He smiled warmly to her as he carried plates to the table and set them down, "Made fried chicken and the rice should be ready in a bit."_

_"Yay! Papa's fried chicken!" Sophia cheers as she sits down across from him, her grandmother in the middle of them._

_"Erik, how are things going so far?" Her grandmother began the conversation as they began to listen._

_"The business is running well." Erik smiled as he chuckled seeing his daughter devouring the meal he cooked, "I was thinking of investing into a new printing machine since the one we have has started to reach its limit. But I am worried about....._ you know who _." He muttered that last part and his mother smiled sadly at him._

 _"If that_ woman _even tries to set a foot here, I will not hesitate to get the lance from the storage. Perhaps putting her head on a pike would work." The old woman smiled, and her son choked on his drink._

_"Mother!" He gasped and Sophia cheered._

_"Yay! Grandma go piking!" Sophia grins and her grandmother burst out laughing while her father looked at his own daughter horrified._

_"Hahaha! You remind me of your great grandfather sometimes." Sophia's grandmother smiled fondly as her eyes held a sad look._

_"This is rare hearing you talk about grandpa." Erik chuckled as he took a napkin to clean the rice off Sophia's cheek, “ I miss you telling stories about him and grandmother. Say, can you tell us about them? It's been awhile and since I never got to meet them." He says and his mother smiled._

_"Well, if your grandparents lived in this land, people would call them, dorks in love." She chuckled while Sophia just blinked innocently, listening to the story, "Your grandmother loved the corny jokes your grandfather would make despite your aunts and uncles rolling their eyes. They were called wise by the people well. I was never interested in the sword, a bit of a letdown to your grandfather but your grandmother taught me a lot about history. Oh! There were also their friends. They taught me many things." She chuckled at the fond memories from a long time ago._

_"Great Grandma and Great Grandpa sound fun!" Sophia giggled and took a sip of her drink, "I wish I could meet them." She said._

_"I wish the same..." her grandmother smiled sadly._

_"What are their names?"_

_"Their names were......"_

**_\- End of Dream -_ **

Opening her eyes, the first thing in her sight was the light pink colored sky. There was still a bit of stars out, which meant it must be around 5 or 6 in the morning. She slowly sat up, seeing the small fire that was set up last night, still burning. Lysithea slept next to Opal, in her sleeping bag. The pegasus had her wings over the girl like if she was her fawn, protecting her. Sophia sat up, and looked around, seeing Ingrid asleep next to her. Carefully getting out of her bag, she stood up, grabbing her bag to head to the nearby pound.

The birds were already chirping as they knew it was the beginning of a new day. Sophia was confused. It had been years since she had dreamed of her childhood days. If people saw her younger self today, they would look at her with a " _What happened?!_ " look. Her younger self was a girl who loved reading books, pulling pranks on others, and always had a stash of hidden food in her room. Her father would call her a gremlin sometimes. Honestly, she probably was. Life took its toll on her as she grew up to an adult. Reality slapped her multiple times that life was not a fairy tale she read in books. Anger she holds within she unleashes in different forms, but she's learned to surpass it. She arrived at the edge of the pound, cupping her hands together she used it to get water and splash it on her face. She let go of a sigh as she looked at her own reflection, the water still rippling as droplets on her face fell. Her eyes void, her face was like a blank slate. Her hair....she shall always keep blue. Sophia stood up as she finished washing her face and brushing her teeth. Spitting out the water and wiping her lips, she headed back to the camp.

It's been 3 weeks since they left Plegai to travel to Ferox. It's been a bit hectic due to them stopping at the villages to rest. Sophia along with Lysithea caught wind of the rumors that were going on about them. It was safe to say, Sophia was pissed but kept her mouth shut. Of course, she knew rumors were going to start about a doctor who can heal others with no magic but to the point it was exaggerated where she is called a SAINT?! Her medical skills are being seen as if they were a gift from God! They weren't! They were the fruits of her labor! Studying and training grueling hours to overcome the bloody hardships that stood in her path. Saving lives, to help the people she cares about. Gods, when she heard the rumors from a lady that loves gossip, she wanted to RIP her hair out so bad. She only prayed that the rumors would not reach Ylisse or Ferox.

Minutes later, she arrived back at the camp, where Lysithea was brushing her teeth, still half asleep. That was till Sophia took out a scone and the sweet smell she instantly detected.

"Finish washing up then I'll give you the scone." Sophia chuckled a bit as Lysithea stuck her tongue out at her.

Opening her bag, she nice the violet haired, age was making a face at the bag of coffee beans she took out. Training in magic these past weeks has been well. Sophia improved quite a bit. Her magic conquering improved and even Lysithea improved. The violet haired girl was starting to undergo the science lessons that Sophia has been teaching her as well as how to make medicine. While Lysithea still doesn't like touching blood ( _despite wearing gloves_ ) it was understandable. The girl described to Sophia that the conditions of the villages as well as the people were the same in Valm. Citizens starve and fight for survival. People dying during the war. Lives lost because of famine. Lysithea hated war with a passion because it took everything from her.

"We should be hitting the border soon. After that, it's a few days of flying to reach the capital of Ferox. That's where the event will be held." Lysithea spoke with stuffed cheeks as she ate the scone.

"Makes sense." Sophia muttered as she poured water into her coffee cipher in a circular motion, "I noticed the temperature is starting to drop as we get closer. Make sure to wear your fur coat once it gets colder. For now, our cloaks will do. And" she handed Lysithea a bowl of vegetables, "eat your vegetables or I will shove down your throat."

Lysithea became pale because the first time she refused, Sophia literally grabbed her jaw, opened it, and shoved a cooked broccoli in it. The girl immediately began to eat the salad despite the face she was making.

"You know..." Lysithea forcefully swallowed her food, "at the village we were at the other day, I overheard a lady speaking about a rise in strange monsters. Corpse coming to life and attacking random villages. The Ylisse Kingdom declared their name Risen. Mages have also noticed a strange shift in the magic flow....I do worry for the people." She muttered and Sophia was silent as she listened.

"Anyhow," the girl finished her food, "the reason I'm going to the tournament is because before the event, there is going to be an auction of rare tomes. I need to get my hands on a specific one. Also, they need mages that specialize in healing for the 4 days of the tournament. The mages in Ferox usually specialize in range attacks. I also heard they pay good money for the medical services." She gave Sophia a thumbs up.

Sophia couldn't help but snort as she cracked her fingers, a movement that made Lysithea cringe.

"I'll show those mages what a real medic does. I'm looking forward to that gold." Sophia's eye gleamed with a bit of greed.

"Just make sure to buy me Ferox's famous caramels."

"20 copper each."

"YOU TRAITOR!"

**\- Weeks later: June 3rd -**

Sophia was screaming bloody murder because of how cold it became when they arrived to the borders of Ferox. They had gotten special armor for their pegasus to protect them from the cold as well as a few magic stones that acted like heat rocks to stay warm. Lysithea said that the was the same as Chon'sin and was used to it. Sophia, not so much. She lived in California her whole life and the temperatures there were a mess. So, to suddenly be in the cold that was just as equal as Alaska or worse, she was swearing profanities that Lysithea was terrified of. As they got closer, the snow falling became stronger. Sophia just wanted to get there, book a room, get into the damn hot spring, and pass out. She was hungry, she ran out of coffee and wants a hot meal. Lysithea cheered once the huge stone fortress, also known as Longfort, came into view. Longfort stretches along the border of Ylisse and Regna Forex. There was also one built near the borders of Plegai and Regna for many years ago before The Mad King came into rule. The closer they got; they had their pegasus swoop down before they got accidentally mistaken for bandits. Once landing a few feet from the entrance, Sophia had better look. The fortress was made in a bit of a military style. Perfect to keep watch of intruders but also to prevent the enemy from breaking in. The giant gate made of metal that had to be pulled up by chain to be allowed in. Torches were lit up to provide light but also warmth to the people that were positioned here.

"Halt!"

"Ah, fuck." Sophia groans as they get off their pegasus and spots the Feroxi Guard mobilizing and surrounding them.

It was her first time seeing the soldiers. Their clothing consisted of bulk armor that was like an armor knight. They also wore fur with it to help them keep warm. Sophia snorted despite a lance being pointed her way.

"Speak your business!" One yelled and Lysithea was about to snap at them till Sophia put her hand up to stop her.

The woman only gave her a small nod and took out her mercenary card.

"We're mercenaries from Ylisse. We got our card here." Sophia spoke calmly as a man walked up and she handed it to her.

"......From what direction did you two come from?" He asked cautiously and she pointed to the mountains.

"We were staying in Hydr Village a few days ago. The one in the mountains between Plegai and Ferox." Sophia says and one of the other male guards let out a hearty laugh.

"Man! I haven't been there in years! Do they still make that peach liquor?" He says as he made a motion of drinking from a cup.

"Hell, yeah they do!" Lysithea piped up and the guard that Sophia's card handed it back to her.

"Apologies for pointing our weapons. Attacks at the borders have been increasing as well as Plegai bandits claiming to be mercenaries have attacked innocent civilians." He let out a small sigh, "If you're here for the tournament, you might want to book a room and quick." He says and Lysithea quickly gets back on her pegasus.

"Actually," Sophia began, "other than the tournament, I'm here to sign up for the temporary medical position for the tournament. Who do I speak to?" She says.

"Oh! You're a doctor? Head straight to the colosseum and speak to a man by the name of Felix. He'll lead you there." He muttered and Sophia nodded.

The metal gates made a loud clicking noise as they were opened to allow them in. Since the snowfall got stronger, the girls decided to walk with their pegasus to the city. Walking through the city, the place reminded Sophia a bit of the Roman Empire. Especially seeing the giant arena at the center of it. Buildings made of white stone; statues carved of marble to the shapes of past warriors. The people of Ferox were dressed warmly because of the cold. Despite it being cold, the people were lively and filled with joy. The scent of hot food filled the air as well as lanterns lighting the roads. Citizens were preparing and setting up decorations for the upcoming tournament next month in July. Stalls were lively, selling weapons, tomes, food, and a different variety of things. The girls wanted to book an inn first before anything else. They asked directions to the inns and they were given. Straight they went and they were barely able to book a room for the rest of this month and the next one. The room they rented had two beds with fur blankets, a kitchen that they could use. The walls were painted a light cream color and the window could be opened. But who would open it in this damn cold? There was 5 feet lava size rock that glowed a light orange, helping keep the room warm. Their pegasus were taken to the stables where they would be taken care of.

For now....Lysithea crashed. Sophia had to slap her hand over her mouth the minute the girl made it to the edge of the first bed and just crashed down it. Falling into a deep sleep that Sophia just carefully removed the metal part of her armor and put the blanket on her. She wrote a note, leaving it on the small table next to the bed. The first thing the woman grabbed was her staff, which she strapped onto her back. Next, her medical bag. Double checking to make sure all her tools are well as medicine was in there. But first, she needs to be presentable.

"Hot spring here I come."

**[-----]**

It was sweet heaven. Sophia stretched happily in the warm water, careful to not let the towel wrapped around her naked body come off. The hot spring was built in an area where a bit of lava flowed underneath. Basically, geysers. With a sake cup held up with her right hand, a small wooden plate floating next to her with a bottle on it along with a few fruits, it was bliss. Taking a big sip from the sake cup, she let a blissful sigh of relief. After all those weeks of traveling, they can finally relax for a while.

"Not completely...." Sophia muttered as she opened her eyes, looking up the ceiling.

Her thoughts were becoming a bit of a whirlwind. Next month was officially the tournament as well as the battle against Chrom and Lucina. Honestly, she was looking forward to seeing the fight alongside seeing the rest of the main cast from a distance. A bitter smile came on her lips.

"Should remain on the sidelines...." she muttered, and her eyes closed again to take a sip of her drink.

She heard the water ripple and knew that another woman had entered the hot spring. Though, they chose to sit at the other side of the boulder Sophia was leaning on so they couldn't see each other. They heard the female sigh a bit in bliss and Sophia chuckled a bit when they heard them squeak.

"Pardon! I did not know someone else was here." They said in a slightly panicky tone.

Sophia just chuckled. Shit, she can feel the alcohol getting to her.

"No worries. Everyone needs to unwind once a while. So, how has it been for you here? Anything exciting?" Sophia smiled as she crossed her legs.

The girl on the other side went silent as they seemed to be realizing something but spoke carefully.

"I am entering the tournament along with a friend of mine. He and I just recently arrived today." The girl muttered and Sophia hummed.

"Well that's exciting. Do be careful not to break a limb because I'll be showing no mercy in popping the bone back in place." Sophia laughed a bit and took another sip.

"Are you a doctor?" They asked and Sophia nodded.

"Yup. I'll be helping out during this month and next month. I'll probably be scolding a lot of people when they finished training, but you win some you lose some." She shrugs and the girl gives a hum as a reply.

"You sound young. How old are you?" The girl asked and Sophia took another sip of her drink.

"I'm 22 years old and I'm confused for 18." Sophia grunted, "Anyhow, I never introduced myself. Name’s Sophia. I'm a mercenary/doctor traveling." She says.

The girl on the other side turned still as a statue but carefully spoke once more.

"Pleasure to meet you Sophia. My name is....Erika. I'm 20 years old." They said and Sophia smiled.

"Hmm....you're about 3 years younger than me. About the same age as my cousin. Her name is Iris. Lovely girl. Gods...now talking about her, I miss her." Sophia sighs and smiles a bit bitterly.

She swirled her cup, staring into the clear liquid, her own reflection looking back.

"If I may ask, you sound like you are not from here. Are you a foreigner?" Erika asked and Sophia sighs a bit.

"You got me there girl. I'm not from Archanea. I'm from far away from Valm. Too bad I can never return to it. Realities are a bitch!" Sophia let out a low growl as she spoke.

"Are you home sick?" Erika asked and Sophia sighs.

"Sigh....I always will be. Maybe. Maybe not. A part of me will always remain in my homeland and another part of me will remain here in Archanea. Sigh.....at least I managed to bring a few things from my home before I swept off to sea." Sophia sighs.

Part of her hated how she became more talkative when she drank alcohol and expressed her emotions better.

"Swept off to sea?" Erika raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Swept off to sea. I didn't come here because I wanted to. There was a huge earthquake in my homeland, and I was near the seashore with some of my belongings. The earthquake created huge waves that dragged me out. I can swim but the force was so powerful I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. Add that with getting slammed, bumping your own bag on the head and waking up in a completely different land, yeah. Not the best way to settle down." Sophia sighs, "On the bright side, I met new people and made new connections. I'm learning new things. Things that never existed in my homeland."

"Anyhow," Sophia stood up, "I better get going. Can't stay too long or else I really will get drunk. By the way, here." She lightly pushed the wooden plate and made it float to the other side, "Keep the rest. Take as a gift for hearing this old woman ramble on." She chuckled.

"You're only three years older than me." Erika bluntly said and Sophia snickered.

"True. But there are days I feel much older than I look. Anyway, good luck Erika. Take care." Sophia waved and left.

**[-----]**

She was still as she stared at the floating wooden plate. It had been so long since she spoke to an older woman. Once she made sure Sophia was gone, the girl carefully walked out. Long indigo blue colored hair, the tips barely touching the surface of the water as the girl picked up the sake bottle. She let out a small chuckle.

"I'm surprised you still drink this, Sophia." Blue colored eyes smiled sadly as she took a sip from it.

Lucina lightly coughed because the alcohol was a lot stronger than it looks. She still couldn't believe that Sophia drank this.... _abomination_. The girl let go of a sigh and sat back down into the water. It had been a long time since she had heard the woman. But it was her first time seeing her...so emotional. The Sophia that Lucina knew was.... _very_ different.

**\- 20 minutes later -**

It's been awhile since she was able to relax like that. Dressed in a dark green winter dress that had a long skirt, black fur boots, and a cloak with a bit of fur to stay warm, Sophia began to walk to the Colosseum. As she walked, she noticed people lining up near the entrance it was a bit of a crowd. She could hear swords clashing and the cracking sound of electricity. The woman walked towards the crowd, she could hear cheering and some people making bets. The closer she got, she managed to get a glimpse of two males sparring.

"Excuse me." She said and managed to get through the crowd, and to the front.

Her eyes went wide at the sight. Children were cheering and sadly, fan girls as well as the two males’ swords clashed. One-man dresses in a teal color coat with straps. He wore knee high up boots with tight teal colored pants. Dark blue-black hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a Cape with a bit of fur and a hood folded back. He had a cocky smirk as his katana clashed with a killer blade. The man wielding the killer blade smirked at him. Spiky brown hair, brown colored eyes, dressed in clothing that was a bit like a samurai. Another sword strapped on his waist as he jumped back, showing his black boots with fur tops.

"Felix and Lon'qu...." Sophia muttered as she saw the two males viciously clashing swords.

The two had a bit of cocky smirks as they fought. Felix jumped back as did Lon'qu. The two panted as they got into positions to fight again but something felt off. Sophia narrowed her eyes at the katana Felix was using. Barely she could see it, but there were small cracks forming. Not a good sign.

"Wait...." she noticed the color of the katana had a bit of a gold color, not to mention, a small wisp of lighting could be seen from it, "I don't remember any katana that can channel magic." She placed her finger on her lip, "Was there such a weapon like that in Awakening?" She thought.

Unfortunately, being stuck I thought, she didn't notice that Felix's and Lon'qu's eyes went wide, that the katana shattered, and that a large fragment of it....shot her way.

"LOOK OUT!" Lon'qu yelled and Sophia looked up.

It felt like time slowed down as she saw the fragment if the blade heading aligns to the middle of her face. It would kill her. She could sense Felix and Lon'qu trying to run towards her. The people around screaming. A child crying. She was just frozen. Yet...

She did not know that the book she took from Plegai, the red gem on its cover, glowed faintly in her bag. It was like all feeling left her body; her eyes still wide but becoming void as they were still on the fragment. The only thing on her mind as it got closer...

_"Disappear."_

The fragment suddenly turned to dust before everyone's eyes. Many just stares in shock as they see the small pile of dust that landed in front of her. All emotion went from her wide eyes.....and she fell backwards, out cold. Literally the crowd began panicking and Felix quickly ran to her side, carefully picking her up.

"Hey! Hey!" He yelled a bit while Lon'qu, worried, refused to go near her.

"MOVE IT!" A loud female voice yelled, and the crowd quickly split into two, allowing the woman to run to them.

"Lysithea?" Felix looked at the violet haired girl with wide eyes as she quickly got on her knees to check Sophia's pulse.

Quickly pulling out a paper towel, pouring some alcohol on it, wafting it over the woman's nose, Sophia began groaning and carefully opened her eyes.

"Uughhhhh...." Sophia groans loudly as she places her hand on her forehead and is held to sit up, "What happened......? The last thing I remember was the blade coming at me...." she groans.

There was pounding in her head that she really wanted gone as she stood up.

"Are you alright?" Lysithea asked, a bit worried.

"Yeah..." Sophia lightly shook her head, "I think once I have something sweet, I'll be back to normal." She sighs and looks around.

The crowd was whispering to each other till they all shut up at Felix's glare.

"You're a mage." Felix says to her and Sophia just rolled her eyes.

"Oh Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Sophia. Ever heard of introducing yourself first?" She snapped back to him and Lysithea quickly slapped her hand over her found to keep herself from laughing.

The only other person that has ever snapped back at Felix was Lysithea and few others. Suddenly, the man had a smirk as he crossed his arms.

"Is this your way of thanking me after catching you from nearly falling on your skull? Maybe I should have let you fall to fix that brain of yours." He snarks back and many gasps.

Sophia just began laughing as she cracked her knuckles, a moment that made a few people flinch.

"Oh! How cute. The little cat boy thinks he takes on this rose with thorns. Try again once you've grown a few more inches, ya pipsqueak." Sophia gave him a closed an eye smile and people began " _Ooohhhhhh~"_

Felix gritted his teeth. He was a bit ( _a lot_ ) sensitive when people made fun of his height.

"Anyhow," Sophia waved her hand, "I'm not here to pick a fight. The guards at the border said to speak to you regarding the temporary medical position at the colosseum. I actually came to speak to you about that." She crossed her arms.

"Same here." Lysithea says Felix and Lon'qu just looked at them and then at each other.

"Tch. Come on." Felix huffed and the crowd faded away, the girls following the males.

However, Felix made one quick glance at the pile of dust. No one should be able to suddenly turn a piece of metal, amplified with magic, to dust.

**[----]**

Inside the Coliseum reminded Sophia, once again, of the Roman ones in her old home. Pillars made of stone; walls made of stone. Stone stairs that led up to the top floors or two the underground training rooms. Sophia noticed that Lon'qu was keeping a fair distance from her and Lysithea, while Felix just rolled his eyes. She didn't blame the man. She understands his reasonings. The four walked down the hallways of the place. Sophia could see soldiers training as well as mages. A few whispered among themselves as the four made turns to a right and climbed up the stone stairs. Honestly, the silence was a bit tense till Felix spoke.

"Never thought I see you again. It's been 2 years." Felix muttered as Lysithea just huffed.

"It has. I see you are doing well along with Lon'qu." Lysithea muttered and the man glanced her way.

"How bad did things get?" Lon'qu suddenly spoke and Lysithea glared at him.

"To the point Virion is hunting me down to join him." She growled lowly and the two males looked at each other.

"Honestly," Sophia let go of a small sigh as Lysithea turned her head towards her, "I think you should know this. It's rumored he has become part of The Shepherds. You know, the Ylisse group?" She says.

"I...did not know that." Lysithea muttered.

"It's understandable." Lon'qu spoke as they were now walking down a hallway, "Recently, Plegai's Mad King has been sending rogues and bandits to raid villages and attack the borders both here in Ferox and Ylisse. There is a chance of war..." his lips became a thin line and Lysithea flinched.

War was the last thing she wants to be in. The group arrived in front of a wooden door, where Lon'qu knocked. A loud male voice spoke to enter. Opening the door, the inside was bit more of wild office. The desk was made of wood but there were weapons displayed on the wall. Sitting at a desk there was a bulk of a man grumbling curses under his breath as he was busy filling out paperwork. Sophia knew that feeling. The man was tall structure and well built. Dark tank skin with a bald head, an eyepatch over his left eye, a bit of a beard. Spiky fur collar that went with his gold armor and black shirt that was opened and exposed some of his skin. A gold belt that was in similar shape to a wrestling match belt was around his waist.

"Lord Basilio, we have guests." Felix spoke and the man looked up.

"Oh, who are the young ladies? Did you girls come to sign up for training?" Basilio says.

"Greets Lord Khan." Sophia bowed politely, "My name is Sophia, and this here is my friend, Lysithea. We've both come to sign up for the temporary medical position for the upcoming tournament." She said.

"Ah! That's good to hear!" Basilio grins, "We've been looking for a medic these past months! Sadly, Ferox doesn't have many clerics or sages. Where do girls come from?" He asked.

"We're mercenaries. We don't have a place we settled down in." Lysithea replied and the man nodded.

"Very well then. But first and foremost," he stood up and walked to them, "I am Khan Basilio, I rule the West side of Ferox and the current ruling Khan. Good to have you kids!" And the three shook hands.

"Nice to meet you sir." Sophia nodded and the three turned to Lon'qu.

"This here is Lon'qu. And the black haired one is Felix. Both are my best swordsmen as well as champions that will be fighting in the tournament for me." Basilio grins and Sophia waved.

"Nice to meet you two now properly. I've heard a bit about you from Lysithea." Sophia says and Basilio quickly turned to the purple haired girl.

"So, you're the little lass Felix kept rambling about! Something about a Ylisse Pine needle tea cake he liked that you made." Basilio thought for a moment and Felix's face turned crimson.

"Stop talking!" Felix yelled and the girls were snickering and Lon'qu cracked a smirk.

"Now Felix, is that any way to talk to your Lord?" Basilio laughed.

**[---]**

After that whole meeting, Lon'qu and Felix led the girls to the training grounds to show them the place. The trading grounds were the current empty coliseum that could be used for training. There were armor knights sparring. Mercenaries clashing swords as well as fighters, barbarians and like 3 to 4 mages. They were all meant, and the scent of testosterone was high. Many were sparring to see who was better and Lon'qu slightly backed away when Sophia's face was slowly morphing to a scowl because of the reckless behaviors she was witnessing.

"ARGH!" And there it is!

Some stupid punk clashes too hard and now they dislocated their shoulders. Sophia stormed over to the two before anyone could say anything. That aura she was giving felt like she was about to commit murder. The armor knights slowly looked up to her and started shaking at her aura.

"Armor. Off. Now." She growled and the men quickly obeyed.

Many were just stunned at how they quickly obeyed, considering she was of shirt physique. With the armor off, and she even had them at least take their shirts off, Sophia began groaning out loud at the number of bruises they were covered in.

"Sit down." She sighs and makes them do that.

Honestly, she hated reckless behavior but then again, she's done reckless things too. She let go of another sigh as she saw bruises forming where the shoulders were dislocated. And like back in Plegai, she gave no warning.

"Hya!"

"GHHAAA!" The first knight screamed while many could only look in horror at just witnessing her put the bone back in place.

"Now your turn." She turned to the other knight, who shook their head rapidly but too late.

Another scream was heard, and she opened her bag as the knights were crying after their bones were popped back in place. Oh course, she began treating the bruises, bandaging up the cuts, and applying medicine on them. All while the others watched, and some whispered to each other.

"There. Done." She stood up and handed them each a pill, "Make sure to take this. It'll prevent your muscles on your shoulder from bruising." She says and turns to look around.

"And this is how you treat patients who dislocated their bones. Apply the cream that was mixed with silver powder. Silver powder is made from the scales that the merfolk shed. When dried, they can be grind down to a fine powder and used for medicine. In this case, it was mixed into the cream. This allows the cream to naturally enhance the magic flow in one's body, allowing faster healing. As well as preventing bruises from forming as well as blood clot. And helps relax the muscle. Especially when the bones need to put back into place. The cream is preventing the ligaments from bruising." Sophia finished explaining and looked around once more.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm the temporary medic here." She grins, but behind that grin, gave the aura of " _If you do anything stupid, I get to decide if you live or die_."

Felix rarely laughed and quickly covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud. Looks like for the next few weeks, it's going to be interesting.

**\- June 11th -**

Getting used to a rowdy place was not easy. Sophia usually liked peace and quiet or at least some sort of music playing in the background. Back hearing actual grunting, swearing, maybe a scream or two while she and Lysithea were doing paperwork....

"Hand me the coffee mug." Sophia grumbled as Lysithea handed her the mug filled with coffee.

The woman gulped down the drink like if it was the last drop of water on earth. Gods, she was tried. The past week has been learning the rules and works of this place as well as helping heal the warriors fighting. Right now, she and Lysithea have been put in charge of medicine transport. Add that with a few mages asking Sophia about her, " _Saintly_ " medical knowledge, she was ready to throw someone out the window.

"You look horrible." She looked up and saw Felix coming in with a tray of food and some pastries.

Lysithea's eyes had lit up candles at the sight of the berry tarts, which Sophia will let her keep. She doesn't like pastries with fruits. Felix is just like his time skip version minus Dimitri and the other Blue Lions being present. He's still a bit cold, sarcastic, crass, but just a tad bit nicer. This was the one thing Sophia was grateful for. The versions of Lysithea and Felix are their time slip versions, full adults.

"I'm glad I don't have to deal with teenagers." Sophia smiled a bit as she watched Lysithea and Felix bickering a bit.

"What's with that happy smile? It's disgusting." Felix said and Sophia's face went blank.

"Fuck you too." She snarled back and Lysithea let go of a sigh, “Anyhow, we should focus on the paperwork. Where's Lon'qu anyway?"

"Out here." Lon'qu yelled out from the door and Sophia let go of a sigh.

Lon'qu....has been difficult to get along with. She understands his reason why he is afraid of women and has been taking her approach towards him carefully. She speaks to him from a distant out of respect.

"Lon'qu, do me favor." She says and the man twitched, "Please go to a blacksmith shop called Arox. I want to know what time it opens." She says as she continues to write.

"Wait, Arox?" Lon'qu peaked in, "How do you know about that shop?"

"Something wrong with it?" Sophia says not looking up, "It was recommended to me by a merchant."

"Arox is owned by the blacksmith Zoltan. He's famous in all of Archanea but he's a stubborn man. If he doesn't like you, he won't take you as a client." Lon'qu replies and Sophia looks up.

"I....did not know that." She mutters and Felix shrugs.

"You're not from any of the three nations or Valm, aren't you?" He says and she closes her eyes.

"Yeah. What of it?" Her tone turned bitter and the subject was quickly dropped.

"Changing the subject." Lysithea coughed, "Why do you want to go to the blacksmith?"

"Every single merchant or weapons shop we've been either doesn't sell chakrams or has sold out! I need my blades! The ones I used to use are in my homeland and I can never get back!" Sophia growled as she messed up her hair angrily.

This left it all messy, like if she just got out of bed. Felix let out a small laugh at her but spoke.

"I know someone who can give you a letter of recommendation. Zoltan commissioned a ring blade for this person about a year ago." Felix smirked and Sophia just raised an eyebrow to him.

"I'm assuming you want a sparring match against me as payment?" She says and notices Felix's stance becoming straight.

"Good. So, you figured it out. Means I don't have to keep asking you. But let me ask you something, what was that spell?" He asked and Sophia blinked multiple times.

"What spell?" She asked.

"Don't lie to me! You know what I'm talking about! The spell that turned the fragment of my katana to dust!" He snapped a bit angrily and Sophia just gawked.

"That's impossible!" She stood up, slamming her hands on her desk, "I just barely became a mage 3 months ago! I was professional doctor surgeon before I came here!" She argues.

"Stop lying and just admit it." Felix huffed and suddenly a shiver went down his spine, his eyes snapping back to the blue haired woman.

" _Did you just say I was lying_......?" Sophia's tone slowly became a snarl.

Her hair puffed up like a cat's and the look in her eyes was suddenly murderous. Lon'qu along with Lysithea suddenly jumped in front of Felix, ready to defend him. The murderous aura Sophia had suddenly died down as her eyes went wide, realizing she let a fragment of her real anger show itself.

"Umm....Sophia...?" Lysithea gasped and that's when Sophia felt something drip on her shoulder.

"What the hell?" Lon'qu eyes went wide as the woman slowly touched her shoulder, blue ink stained her hand.

"Where is the nearest market that sells hair dye?!" She yelled out and Lysithea walked up to her.

"Calm down. Look, I understand that Felix angered you. I would be mad two if he accused me of lying. It's just hair dye. There is no need to replenish it immediately." Lysithea tried to calm her down but Sophia's breathing was only becoming frantic.

"I need to dye it....I need to dye it now!" She says and the girl knew that look in the older woman's eyes.

**_It was fear._ **

"One moment." Lysithea smiled as she placed her hands over the woman's head.

It glowed a soft pink, allowing the color that fell to return to hair. The hair dye returns to its rightful place. Sophia let go of a sigh of relief as she slumped back onto the chair, but quickly looked over to Felix and Lon'qu.

"Could....you two...leave us alone to be tall in private?" She asked and the two gave her an unsure glance but nodded.

The door closed, leaving only the women. It's been awhile since she's had silence like this but a bitter smile came one her lips as she covered her eyes, leaning back on the chair.

"I dye my hair....to keep people from seeing it's real color." She began.

Perhaps speaking a bit of her past would help. Seems even Lysithea realized this since Sophia rarely talked about her personal life.

"My mother.....was a cruel woman. She was an alcoholic and physically and verbally abusive towards me. She especially took out her anger on me. I would do everything I can to protect my half siblings. I started to live with my mother when I turned 14...due to....my father passing away. My grandmother passed away when I was 10. So....things turned for the worse when I turned 14." She let go of a dry chuckle.

"I'm not going to go into detail other than during my teen years, many would comment my real hair color was disgusting. And at one point, it was literally all cut off. That's why it's the length now." She sighs and removes her hands, looking over to the girl.

"Sniff..." Sophia's eyes slowly went wide as she realized Lysithea was crying.

_But why?_

"Lysithea, why are you crying?" Sophia asked and Lysithea gave her a look of empathy.

"How long....have you kept this to yourself? Not speaking to anyone?" The girl muttered and Sophia let go of a sigh.

"Only my cousin, Iris and another friend of mine know about my past. Iris, because she is a relative of mine. My other friend, unfortunately, passed away when I was 18. She passed away from a deadly disease." Sophia sighs once more and looks back to the girl.

"The tears you shed....hm..It been awhile since I've seen someone be genuine with me." Sophia carefully wiped one from her face, "Your tears are filled with kindness and empathy. Thank you.ll" she smiled softly to her.

"Can I hug you?" Lysithea muttered and Sophia did it for her.

To be able to speak to someone like this, it had been a long time. To Sophia, the ones she had become close to in her short time in this world are Henry, her first encounter, and Lysithea, someone who is kind.

**_Kindness._ **

****

**_Joy._ **

****

**_Empathy._ **

Perhaps they were emotions she thought she could no longer feel. But they were there. It just took the right people to open to.

**[----]**

"Something on your mind?" Lon'qu muttered as the two were leaning on the wall, across from each other.

"That woman." Felix spoke, referring to Sophia, "Her anger reminded me of someone. Someone I knew a long time ago." He muttered.

"The blonde boy?" Lon'qu replies.

"No. Someone else. Unfortunately, I don't remember their faces. All I remember is that she was once my mentor...I think?" Felix muttered and Lon'qu chuckled a bit.

"Maybe you've met them. Maybe you have not. Anyhow...." the two men turned to look at the hallway, hearing the sound of metal boots clicking.

"We got company." Felix said slowly as they got off the wall and stood in front of the doors.

"State your business." Lon'qu eyes went cold at the two warriors in front.

If Sophia was outside, she knew the first one was Marth, however; she did not know who Alm was. Alm wore a wyvern half mask like Marth's but he only pointed his sword at them.

"We're here to challenge the Sword Master Lon'qu and Mortal Servant, Felix."

**Chapter 6: Bitter Spice**


	7. Twisted Face

**_\- ????? -_ **

_The sky had become a crimson red like blood. The clouds once white, now nearly black. Th scent of burning smoke always lingered in the air. Civilians no longer had smiles but frown and eyes of despair and sorrow. Slowly losing hope as each day passes by. The boy let go of a tried sigh as he looked over to the gates. A single woman standing there, waiting. The boy gave her cold look from a distance while the civilians always muttered to each other about her. She has cared for them all and tended their needs. War had brought so much blood shed, yet the woman did not let it stop her. To the boy, he could only look at her in disgust because of her always voidless eyes. A guard at the tower began yelling out that army had returned. The boy, along with his lord and friends, scurried over to the gates. The woman watched open, the boy saw her twitch. Soldier carried the bodies of those that has fallen and those injured sat in the wagons. Yet, they all stopped, a single soldier stepped forwards towards the woman. He looked tried, hungry, sick. But the soldier could only close his eyes as one his other men stepped forwards, holding something covered in blood in his hands. Many could only watch in horror as the soldiers that went to war returned with only a blood covered weapon. The guard couldn't look at the woman in the eye as she took a few steps forward, and gently held the weapon in her hands. A drop of blood dripped onto the ground, the sky only darkening as realization hit him like wave. The boy next to her shook with rage, sorrow, and anger, but knew the woman would not cry. She didn't cry when her friend died. She didn't cry when the mage died. She didn't cry when each of her friends, one by one, died and never returned. But...._

_"...Urgh..."_

_The boy's eyes slowly went wide as the woman began shaking as she held the weapon close to her chest. Drops of water began to fall from the sky as the wind picked up. Thunder roared through the sky as the gates closed. The woman grip tightens on the weapon. Falling onto her knees, shaking. Then, the woman raised her head, her mouth wide. The scream that left her lips was unlike anything he had ever heard. It was unlike anything anyone had ever heard. It was a wail of pure sorrow and despair. It was like she became the very embodiment of it. The screams became a wail. And the wail became the screams of sorrow and despair. Tears fell like a river from the woman's eyes as she held tightly the blood covered. She began wailing the names of each of her friends, one by one. The boy realized he was a fool._

_"I'm such a fool...."_

_The sentence kept repeating in his head when he realized the idiot he was. He thought he knew the woman well. But he didn't. None of his friends did. They all believed she was a heartless woman but all this time, she held her own emotions back for their sakes. The children and soldiers could only watch as the woman's wails and screams did not die down. It was far too late....for now he understood why the woman was the way she was._

_Truly...he was a fool._

**\- Present Time -**

Sophia chewed the nail of her thumb as she, Lysithea, and Khan Basilio watched from the audience seats of the arena. There were also other warriors, muttering among themselves as to who these two fools were, challenging the West Khan's best swordsmen. Sophia remembers that in the game, Basilio mentioned to the Shepherds that Marth just showed up one evening and beat Lon'qu. To think she would now witness it.... _it made her skin crawl._ But she had much bigger questions. Who was the boy with the wyvern mask? She's never seen or heard of him before. Much less, in the game. The first thought that came into her head was that he may be an NPC. After all, she's met many people these past three months and there have been changes. This world was real. She accepted that because she forced herself to adapt. But now.....

She looked back to the arena and saw Marth looking up their way and then back to men. The boy with the wyvern mask only briefly looked up and then back to field. The boy unsheathed the sword on his waist, along with Marth, the two stood side by side, their sword's crossing. Falchion on the right, and.....

"Wait, that sword looks familiar." Sophia muttered as she stopped chewing her nail.

It looks far too familiar, but she can't but her finger on it. She looked to the two knights and two swords master, all four lunged at each other. The boy charged at Felix while Marth charged at Lon'qu. Their movements were swift, perhaps _too_ fast for Felix's and Lon'qu's liking.

Sophia wasn't liking this. Felix and Lon'qu were getting overpowered easily and she can tell the boys were holding back. The boys' steps were grateful and calculated while Felix's movements were of wanting the battle to finish quickly but also to finish off the job.

"Alm!" Marth yelled and the boy now named Alm, quickly jumped back to stand by Marth's side.

"We should finish this quickly." Alm says and Marth nodded.

"Shall we do _that_ then?" Marth turns to him a bit.

"In front of her?" He says, referring to Sophia, "Sure. Why not?" He says.

The two lunged at the men once more. Their swords clashed viciously, almost as if it was a dance. Each performer moved with grace but with their own unique character. The two jumped back and lunged again, but what threw off the adult men was that they both spun and threw their swords in the air, then....

"HA!"

"WHO THE FUCK TAUGHT YOU THAT?!" Sophia screamed as she literally just watched Marth and Alm use martial arts, on Felix and Lon'qu.

The poor bastards didn't see it coming as they tried to dodge the punches and then Alm did a kick with his left leg at Felix and Marth with her right leg on Lon’qu. The males' shocked as they were forced to stumble back, only barely witnessing the two knights catch their swords and then cross slash them together. Silence took over the arena as Felix and Lon'qu fell unconscious to the ground.

"FELIX!" Lysithea screamed and jumped down 8 feet from the seat to the battle grounds.

"What the hell did I just witnessed.....?" Sophia shook as she barely managed to jump back to her senses and jumped down.

She ran after Lysithea, who had slid quickly on her knees, neck to Felix.

"Felix! Felix!" Lysithea yelled as she picked him up in her arms, lightly smacking his face.

"They are only unconscious." Marth spoke as Sophia knelt to check Lon'qu.

Her hand glowed a bit green and scanned it over him and then did the same to Felix.

"No wounds. No blood. They are only unconscious." Sophia sighs a bit and looks over to the two warriors.

It was obvious to Sophia that the boy Alm was most likely Martha's retainer. But what made her worried was the movements of martial arts they did. They were the same ones she did to Arca about 2 months ago. She used that trick on the girl but.... unlike her, she felt no killing intent from either of these two. She saw Lysithea used a cotton ball with alcohol, wafting over the men's nose to wake them up. Felix groans but frantically sits up, touching his armor and checking repeatedly, making sure he is alive. As for Lon'qu...

"GHHAAA!" The bastard screamed and jumped away from Sophia like a cat, "AWAY, WOMAN!"

"Oh, come on!" Sophia flung her arms in the air pissed but got up with the rest.

"Very impressive!" The group turned to see Basilio clapping as he made their way to them, "That was a very Impressive battle! You two beat my best swordsmen!" He laughed.

"What the hell was that technique?!" Felix turned to them, "I swore that sword of yours cut me in half!" He growled.

"What?" Lysithea gasped and Sophia's face became blank with half lidded eyes.

"I cannot tell you." Alm answered and Felix glared at the two.

"Anyhow," Basilio sighs, "I am very impressed. Because you two beat my best swordsmen, I have decided to hire you both to compete for my side. What are your names?" He grins.

"I am Marth." Marth says and Alm then spoke.

"I am Alm." Alm spoke in a monotone voice though it could not be seen because of his mask, he briefly glanced over to Sophia.

The woman was having an internal mental breakdown.

**[------]**

It's been two hours since the fight and Sophia were still shaken. She paced back and forth in the medical office, alone. She was chewing her nail, muttering to herself at what the hell she witnessed. First of all, that technique both Marth and Alm used was one that was passed down in her family. She was the last person her grandmother taught it to. The purpose of the technique was to unleash your killing intent, not at the person but onto your blade. Thus, creating a temporary feeling to your opponent like if they were about to get killed. This allowed you to then strike them down.

"What the hell...." Sophia muttered as she quickly went into her bag and pulled out a chocolate with liquor in it.

She ate it, her nerves calming down a bit. As for Felix, Lysithea took him out to the tea shop to try and help him relax. She did feel a bit sorry for them. She can tell that Felix and Lysithea have something between them. That's good. As for Lon'qu, he's still out training. Sophia let go of a sigh as she looked back to her desk. It was the black book with the red gem she brought from Plegai. She's been studying it in her free time as well as taking notes. The text in the book was a combination of runes, the native language of Archanea as well as some other unknown language. Only a few words she's been able to decipher as well as one spell. Honestly, she wants to test one but doesn't want to risk it backfiring on her.

**Knock knock.**

"Come in." She turns to the door, hearing someone knock.

The wooden door opens and in comes.....Marth...better yet to say, Lucina. It felt like someone poured a bucket of ice over Sophia as Lucina opened the door a bit more to let Alm come in. The door closed, a silence filled the room, yet Sophia let go of a sigh before she composed herself and spoke.

"Can I help you two?" Her voice became professional as she held her hands together.

There was only silence as the two warriors just stared at her and she was trying to keep her eye from twitching.

"Yes." Alm spoke, "My Lord wishes to speak about something important." And Marth just looked his way.

Too bad Sophia could see the glare the blue haired woman sent him. Sophia had had to cover her mouth to hide the smile that threatened to form on her lips. She can tell by the way the two were whispering back and forth between each other, there was a possibility of something between. Oh, she can imagine poor Chrom sulking if he learns his baby is interested in someone. Which brings another question to her mind? Who is Lucina's mother? Her own it's either Robin or Sumia.

"Ahem." Lucina coughed and looked back to her, "I shall be forward. _You know who I am_." Her tone became serious and boy, Sophia was glad her mouth was covered.

Or else Lucina would have seen her jaw dropping. The woman's eyes became void of emotion, something that made Alm twitch, but for the woman, her composure was back to normal.

"I believe you are confusing me for someone else, child." Sophia removed her hand from her mouth, "I know many people but certainly not you."

"You know who I am." Lucina repeated once more and the emotions just leaving Sophia's face.

"Child, I already said you are confusing me for someone el----" she stopped when Alm held out a bottle of peach sake.

She recognized it. It's the same bottle from the hot spring she was at a week ago. Then...

"Ah. So, you're Erika." Sophia muttered, still playing the ignorant one, "Did you like the peach sake?"

"I honestly don't understand how you drink that abomination." Lucina says and Alm gave her a hurt look.

"Abomination?! In her defense, this sake is the best!" Alm says and quickly coughs.

"Well, I'm glad you like it kid." Sophia smiled a bit, "But anyhow, if you kids aren't injured or anything, please do not waste my time. I am _very_ busy." She says and turns her back.

" ** _You kept silent._** " Lucina's tone suddenly went cold, "You never spoke a word. You never spoke of the knowledge you knew." Her right hand turned to a fist; it shook.

"To the flames of damnation....so my future self never said anything..." Sophia thought and glanced back at them for a bit.

She stared at them for a few seconds and spoke.

"I'm assuming......." she shook her head, "You're wasting my time kids. You really are confusing me for someone else." She waved her hand to dismiss them.

"Leave Plegai!" Marth growled and Sophia gritted her teeth, "You are making a big mistake staying there. You will regret it." She said.

Sophia's nails dug into the desk, slightly splintering the wood. She now was getting angry.

"Leave Plegai.........?" She muttered, her nails digging more into the wood, "Tell me child." She turned to her, the aura of authority rising that Lucina wanted to take a step back but held her ground, "Who are you to dare try and command me?"

The woman's eyes held fury yet coldness, her face composed but her nails digging deeper into the wood.

"You!" Lucina snarled and suddenly gasped when Alm placed his hand on her shoulder.

She looked at him, confused and he gave her a slow nod before letting go and walking up a bit to the older woman. The two stared at each other for a moment and he spoke.

"Grimleal is making their move." He began, "They are still searching to decipher the ancient Loptyrian scrolls of the deadlords. However, we fear there is something worse. Lady Sophia, you know we come from the future." He said seriously.

Sophia only stared at him with confusion in her eyes.

"We mean you no harm Lady Sophia but please listen to Lord Marth's warning. Nothing good will happen if you remain in Plegai. The people you care about will be endangered if you stay." He says and Sophia took a deep breath, then let it go.

"Even if I left.....those people will still be in danger." Her voice shuttered a bit as she spoke.

She turned and quickly opened her bag, digging through it till she found what she was looking for. It was a small red book that she wrote. She turned back to Alm and handed it to him.

"Make sure to have Brady, Laurent or Owain study this." Sophia sighs as she turns back to her desk, "Now go."

"What is this?" Alm asked, she could feel their eyes boring into her skull.

"If my future self-kept silent...then I'm sure she had a reason. But if my future self was a bitch and didn't share her medical knowledge with you kids, then I'm pissed. Make sure to study the book at least 3 hours a day and take 20-minute breaks in between. Now go!" She said a bit angrily, her back still facing them.

Alm was silent for a few moments but spoke, a small smile on her lips.

"Thank you....Lady Sophia. You know......" he crossed his arms, a bit and smirked, "despite acting all cold, you're really kind."

"Am I?" Sophia muttered, "Heh. Flattery will get you nowhere kid. Especially because I can tell you don't mean it. A word of advice to you and Marth." She glanced at them a bit, " _All fate....remains unknown. It isn't meant to be seen. But....break free from it's chains._ _Alter it to what you want it to be._ That's all." She looked back to her nails digging into the wood.

"Noted." Alm says and turns to leave along with Lucina, not looking back.

The door now closed; a heavy silence filled the room as Sophia let go of a sigh. She sat down at her chair and buried her face into her hands.

"What have I done?" Sophia muttered to herself.

The way Lucina spoke to her, her biggest fear just got confirmed. She will eventually have to get involved with the main cast. Still, she wondered why her future self chose to remain silent.

"Just what did I do....? Why did I remain silent?" Sophia muttered as she had covered her mouth again.

She had many questions running through her mind. First off, to think that Erika was Lucina this whole time. And based on the girl's reaction, there is a chance that her future did not have a good relationship with her. Another sigh left Sophia's lips and grabbed her bag.

She needs a bit of space.

**[---]**

Walking through a street market always made her day. The street markets in Ferox reminded her of the ones from her home. She would go out on the weekends with her grandmother and father to enjoy it. Buying fresh waters and food to eat. The bliss of seeing a different variety of foods sold. She walked around for a few minutes till she arrived at a shop. The building was made of black stone, the scent of burning coals surrounded it, as well as a bit of heat. Carefully opening the door, she peeked inside. There were tools for forging on the walls, hammers, pins, and such. The fire burner was on, but it was burning weakly. There was a desk littered with sketches. She walked in carefully, seeing no one around.

"Hello?" She called out a bit, just to make sure someone was there.

But there was no response. She let go of a sigh and decided to look at the weapons on display. There was a Sword of Zoltan, she remembered from Three Houses as well as his other weapons. She had to admit, she was impressed but the craftsmanship. The man cared deeply for his works.

"Can I help you?" She turned and saw an old man who looked to be in his 50's.

Despite being old, he seemed quite fit and strong.

"Ah. Hello." She politely bows to him, "My name is Sophia. I was recommended this shop by a merchant named Anna. I have heard that you forge weapons and even custom ones." She says and the man raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. It's rare hearing Anna recommend my shop to someone. She never does that unless she's taking a liking to you." The old man says, "Here to buy a weapon?"

"Actually....." she took a deep breath and released, "I was wondering if I may commission you for a weapon."

"Ah! It's been awhile since someone asked politely. Haha! Let's hear it, what do you have in mind?" Zoltan chuckled and Sophia nodded.

"I am thinking of a pair of chakrams. And....." she pulled a notebook size box from her bag, "I have a specific material I wish to be used."

She handed him the box and the man opened it carefully. The man did not know that this material was actually bone. He took out a piece, observing it and then looked back at her.

"Where did you get this? This some really damn high-quality material." He says.

"Plegai. Got it as reward for helping a village." She says and the man nodded.

"Hmmm....." the man stared at for a moment then spoke, "This is enough material to make two chakrams and a dagger. So, any design on mind?" He asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of letting you decide." She answered.

"Well...." the man smirked, "how do you know I won't screw up your order and rip you off?" He says.

"Because you won't." She smiled, "You're Zoltan, aren't you? I can tell when I was observing the weapons on the wall, you care about your work. It's your life. The weapons in a way have their own life. Their own story. They are forged with care. You see your work also like a form of art. I respect that." She explains and the man bursts into a hearty laugh.

"Gods! It's been awhile since I heard someone speak so honestly. The last person that spoke to me that way was the lass Olivia! A stuttering mess she was but she is honest. You hold that same honestly. Alright lass, I'll do it. Anything else?" Zoltan asked and Sophia nodded.

She took out a small wooden jewelry box. Opening them, inside were two stone jewels. A dark green one was an emerald cut beautified into a diamond shape and the other was a red colored gem in the shape of an opal. She smiled fondly as she looked at the gems.

"Please find a way to incorporate these two gems to my chakrams. They....mean a lot to me." She said and the man sighed.

He knew that look. The look of someone losing loved ones.

"They'll be done next month. I send an owl your way when they are finished." He smiled softly and she nodded.

"Thank you."

**[-------]**

"Sigh...." it's been a few hours and she returned back to the arena to finish her paperwork.

She's glad she will have the weapons done, especially since she literally gave Zoltan fragments of Grima's bones to him. She was honestly looking forward to the weapons, but she stopped. She stopped near an open area of snow, where a few benches were. Children were playing with their parents, laughing, and cheering. Sophia didn't want happy scenes like this to become an apocalypse inferno. She walked up to the bench and sat down, closing her eyes. More thoughts ran through her head about her future self. Other than she chose to remain silent, she wondered what else her future self did. One, it was possible she doesn't have a good relationship with the children. Maybe at some point in time she joined the Shepherds? Honestly, part of her is hoping her future self didn't but who knows what fate has in store. Another question that was in her mind was if she shared her own medical knowledge and other things. With the battle she saw today, it was obvious to her that she taught the boy Alm and Lucina martial arts from her old world. Then, the one question that her cousin would always ask her came into her mind.

_"Hey Sophi! When will you start dating?"_

Sophia was glad she bought a mug of hot chocolate that was spiked with alcohol. She took a big gulp from it and then wiped her lips.

"Who the hell would date me?" She muttered as she took another sip of the hot drink.

Dating in her old world never worked out. She would always be busy with work and found that pursuing a relationship with someone was nothing but a hassle. Yes, there was that fear that she could get hurt. But her main thing is if a person is worthy of her trust. The only two people she currently trust are Henry and Lysithea. No one else. Sophia doesn't trust people easily because of her past experiences growing up. She's cautious and wary. At times, she could be a schemer. She doesn't let down her guard at all. Even if she is with people she trusts. Sophia let go of another sigh and thought. The vision of being a parent never came across her mind and honestly, she couldn't see it. But she does remember speaking a bit on the subject with Iris. That was all. Sophia can't see herself as a parent because she fears she will become just like her mother or worse. She much rather give the child to adoption and have them live a happy life than with her. And if she did have a child and she became a horrible parent, she hopes that child grows up to be a better person, cuts her off, and disappears from her life. To leave her. She doesn't want that child to suffer by her hands.

"Just what did I become?" She muttered as she closed her eyes again, taking small breaths.

The snow gently fell from the sky, a calming sensation filled her. She heard someone sit next to her and turned her head a bit, her face became blank when she saw it was Alm. The boy had his arms crossed along with his legs as he leaned back on the bench, his lip was a thin line. There was a tense silence for about five minutes till he spoke.

"You got questions. I'll be nice and answer a few. You got 10 minutes. Start." Alm says and Sophia burst out laughing.

Alm gritted his teeth and Sophia could tell he was sending her a glare from behind his mask. 

"I'm so sorry but you doing that reminded me of something I did when I was younger! Hahahaha!" Sophia laughed and tried to calm herself down a bit.

"Tch." The boy just clicked his teeth and waited for her to calm down.

Sophia laughed and calmed down as she wiped a tear from her eyes but coughed.

"Sorry about that. I rarely laugh." The boy just gave her a grunt, "First question then, did I become like the wench of my mother?" She smiled.

Alm glanced at her, a frown on his face.

"Is that how you view yourself? A _wench_?" He asked and Sophia shrugged.

"I've always viewed myself as a demon with no heart. Probably because of how people view me." She answered and his frown only deepened.

"You were emotionless. But I don't know about your mother. You never spoke of your past. Only a few knew and no matter how much were asked they always told us that it was your story to tell, not theirs." Alm answered as she hummed.

"I'm glad my privacy was respected." She says, "I'm guessing I became a bitter old woman."

"What the hell is up with you always referring to yourself like you're the biggest mistake in the world?!" He snapped at her suddenly and she just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Kid, I am not answering that." She says and he just growled, "Let's ask you this, do I have a partner?"

"The hell! I'm not answering that!" He snarled.

"I'll take that as a no." She sighs, one of relief.

"You sound like you are relieved." Alm looked her way and she chuckled.

"That's because I am. First off, who on earth would want to be with me? Second, I am glad because that means a child won't suffer. If I did become like the wench of my mother, and I did give birth to a child, I hope that child grew up to be an amazing person. But also...that they cut me out of their life." She says and Alm froze.

"You.....are happy if they cut you out of their life?" He slowly turned to her and she nodded, her eyes on her hands.

Her vision flickered as she saw them one minute painted with blood, another with multiple cuts, and lastly, just normal.

"If I did become a parent....and I became a horrible person....I hope that child grew up to be the opposite of what I became. I hope that child grew up to be strong, kind, brave, and most of all, filled with emotions. Someone who cares about their people. I hope that they cut me out of their life, so they no longer suffer. They don't need toxicity in their life." She says and he covered his mouth.

Sophia couldn't see, and he was glad she couldn't right now because she was busy staring at her hands. His lips were quivering.

"Hey kid." He only turned his head just a tad bit, "One final question. Who is Lucina's mother?" She asked.

"Robin. That's all." He says and stands up, "My time is up. Just to let you know, what we discussed here, is going to be told to my Lord."

"Alright." She smiled softly, "Say kid...I hope my other self at least taught you _that._" She muttered.

"Taught me what?" He looked at her confused.

Sophia smiled softly as she looked up to the sky, a small reminder of the things she loved.

 _"In time flows~ See the glow~ Of flames ever burning bright~"_ she sang and the boy’s breath hitched, once more covering his mouth, " _On the swift~ River's Drift ~ Broken memories align ~_ " she finished the lullaby and turned her head towards him.

But the boy was gone. Sophia let out a dry chuckle as she stood up and took out the small pocket watch she always carries.

"Time to head back."

**\- Weeks Later: July 5th -**

The Ferox Capital has become lively over the past few weeks. People preparing and rushing putting up decorations for the tournament. Stalls where bidders were getting ready to bet who would be the winner this year. Word got out quickly of the warriors Alm and Marth. The mysterious duo that took down Lon'qu and Felix. Yeah, someone's pride was hurt. But Sophia had seen the four spar. To be honest, the four looked like they were having fun and the adults would give the kids pointers and how they could improve their technique. Sophia kept her distance for obvious reasons. The only reason she ever talked to them was because Alm had the tendency of overworking himself. Like the warriors she must tend, she scolded the kid. Sophia didn't know why but when it came to Alm, her anger rose just a tad bit. She felt like an older sister scolding her younger brother. No, the best way to describe the feeling was like a mother scolding her child. Then again, she was always called the mom of the group back in her old world. Lucina, despite wearing a mask, looked like she was reliving some memories watching Sophia scold them. Speaking of that subject, Alm refuses to say who his parents are. It's understandable. With the way he's acting, it's possible he didn't have a good relationship with his parents, whoever they are. As for Lucina, she knows her mother is Robin. So, she internally cheered that she made the right guess.

"Now, when a deep wound is like this, your first priority is making sure the main veins were not damaged." Sophia explains as she pointed her staff at a poster on the wall of the human body.

The four mages that will be fighting in the tournament have asked her if she could teach them some healing magic. Honestly, Lysithea would have been the better choice for that but she already had enough dealing with paperwork. The girl has been teaching Sophia more advanced spells and has been having Sophia leaning towards combining her medical knowledge with her magic. Sophia gladly took that opportunity and has been researching ways to do it. The tome she made has all her formulas written as well as other spells she's been taught. But...there was something off.

"Oh shoot!" Sophia's bag accidentally fell onto the floor, her things spilling out.

One of them was the black covered book with the red gem she brought from Plegai. Instantly, a wave of nausea hit the mages and Sophia ran to them worried.

"The...book..." one mage managed to croak out and the woman quickly grabbed it and put it away along with her bag.

The mages felt a wave of relief as it was now put away but Sophia, she was still worried.

"All of you," she turned to them, "can you explain to me what happened?" She says and they looked at her confused.

"Wait, you didn't feel it?" A female mage looked shocked and Sophia shook her head.

"That tome....we don't sense any of the elements of magic from it yet....for us mages...we immediately feel sick. Do you seriously not feel it?" Another asked.

"I'm sorry but I don't. And I'm a mage also." She sighs and looks back at her bag.

"Changing the subject!" She clapped her hands together, "Good luck out there tomorrow! And don't overdo it on the alcohol tonight!" She warns.

"Speak for yourself! You drank an entire three mugs the other day!" One man laughed and his friend smacked him on the head.

Sophia chuckled a bit as she waved goodbye to them as they left the small clinic. She turned back to her desk and heard the door to the clinic opening again.

"The new shipments should be on the way soon Thea ( _Lysithea_ )! Just make sure not to overdo it on the cake again. I had to have Lon'qu find you and Felix last time." She hummed but heard no response.

"That's weird...." she thought and turned, "Lysithea why aren't you-----!!!" Her eyes went wide, nearly dropping the box of medicines she was holding.

"I beg your pardon." The voice of a male spoke, "I was told by Khan Flavia to look around the place. Also, I am searching for my Lord who.... unfortunately, he has wandered off." The man bowed politely to her.

Sophia was too stunned and couldn't answer as she looked at the man before her. Brown hair combed back, a stern face, brown colored eyes, royal blue colored armor the man wore. From the tie on his neck, Sophia could tell he was wearing a formal suit underneath the armor.

"Milady, are you alright?" The man asked and Sophia's face went blank of emotions as she nodded and placed the medicine box back on the desk.

"Pardon," her voice void of emotions, immediately putting the man on guard, "I was just surprised. We rarely have new visitors." She says.

"I see." There was a bit of an awkward silence and she spoke.

"If you are looking for your Lord, I recommend the training room. That's where the warriors of the west and east Ferox train. As for the medical unit here, we are neutral. We are with no side." She says and turns back to her desk, opening the box.

"I see. Thank you." He says, "May...I know your name?" He asked.

"........Sophia. I'm a doctor." She says and turns back to him.

"I see. My name is Fredrick, I serve as a retainer to my Lord." Fredrick bowed politely and she nodded.

"It is good to meet you. Have a nice day." She says and turns her back on him.

Fredrick had an offended look but shook his head, leaving the clinic. Sophia waited a few minutes till he was gone and let out a load groan. Her face dragged down her face and covered her mouth.

"Chrom, Lissa, Robin, Frederick and the rest are here then....and the tournament starts tomorrow.......I need to be careful. Based on the conversation today, Frederick already has me on his "need to be wary" list." Sophia muttered as she bit her lip.

The door opened again and in came Lysithea, who looked like she ran the mile. She quickly locked the door, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

"Whoa! What happened?!" Sophia gasped as she walked up to the girl.

"I just found out that Ylisse Royalty is here! And guess who else?!" She yelled and it clicked.

_Virion._

"Did he see you?" Sophia asked and Lysithea nodded.

"I barely managed to get away! Please hide m----!!" The girl nearly screeched when the door knocked.

"Pardon! May I come in?" A Male voice spoke and Lysithea turned back to her friend, her hands clasped together.

"Please, I'm begging you, hide me!" Lysithea pleads and Sophia nodded.

"One moment!" She yelled out to the door and quickly ran to her bag, taking out the Warp tome.

"Here!" She quickly handed it to her, "It's the tome, Warp. Get out of here!"

"Thank you, Sophia! I swear I'll pay you back!" Lysithea says and quickly activated the tome, warping to know where.

Sophia let go of another sigh and went to open the door. Of course, the first person in her vision was straight up overly top blue haired noble that would like a bloody prick in her eyes.

"Good day Miss! My, such blue hair is like the sea. Eyes of emeralds and rubies! Such a beauty I have never seen before! I am the Archers of Archers! For I a-----!" And Virion did not get to finish because she closed the door in his face.

"Wait Milady!" Virion cried out and Sophia just let out another groan and opened the door, "Virion! Er...My name is Virion." He muttered and Sophia just rolled her eyes.

"Good. You said your name instead of rambling on shit." Sophia days and Virion choked on his spit, "Anyhow, what do you want? I don't need some pompous noble screwing up my schedule. If you're here to waste my time, go suck a lemon and buzz off." She says.

"My such words!" Virion gasped, his hand over his heart, "But such a beautiful sea of course can become deadly like a typhoon. Pardon, me my lady. I saw a Maiden of violet hair run in here. I wish to speak to her." He says and Sophia just sighs.

"Unfortunately for you, I didn't see anyone run in here. Are you sure you didn't see a _Leánnan sídhe?_ Actually...... " Sophia smirked as she looked him up and down.

He was dressed in a dark grey coat with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. A blue sliver armor shoulder plate covered his right arm and he wore brown colored gloves. He wore black pants that were easy to move in with brown boots, a leather shield on his waist and strapped on his back was his bow and arrows.

"Ha! Not even the _Leánnan sídhe_ would go after a lecherous man like you!" She laughed and Viron looked like he was getting teared apart.

Unfortunately, Sophia didn't notice that there were others gathering on the side lines. And those just so happen to be the Shepherds and Khan Flavia. Lissa was going to speak up, but Sully whispered for her to just watch. Boy, the red head knew a good show was about to start.

"M-Milady....such.... boldness." Virion whimpered and Sophia knew, the moment she's been dreaming of, has arrived.

"You look like a snub of a noble with the speech. Your attitude and looks make me want to bleach my ears and eyes! Your looks need work as well as stance! Your facade of a leacher will only get you killed. You need to work on etiquette and your words and actions come out unclear!" She says clearly and Virion looked like he was getting stabbed by swords for each word she spoke.

Those in the sidelines were desperately trying to hold back their laughter while a few gave looks of pity to Virion. Sophia just kept going, not a care in the world.

"Before me stands a coward who used sweet words as a facade! One who breaks hearts and throws them away! A coward and liar, unfit to speak to me! Begone and away with you, leacher, for your pompous noble ass just got whipped! Shoo! Shoo! Go eat wyvern shit and suck a lemon! Bye!" And she slammed the door closed in his face.

Virion looked like he had just been massacred while everyone else had burst out laughing. For Sophia, she let out a satisfied sigh.

"Man, that felt good."

**[---]**

Outside the clinic, Sully and Vaike were howling along with many others. Virion crawled weakly back to the group; his confidence completely shredded to pieces at the moment. Donnel gave the poor man an awkward pat on the shoulder to try and reassure him.

"My, I never seen someone tear a man apart with just words.... Interesting..." Miriel fixed her glasses while Chrom shook his head.

"I think for now we better avoid the clinic. I spoke to some of the warriors here, but I did not think that the rumors of the arena's doctor being a terrifying person when crossed, were true." Robin cringed while Flavia laughed.

"Who would have thought a woman like that be here?! Wish she joined us." Flavia sighs.

"Well, at least we know now where the clinic is." Lissa muttered and the others turned to leave.

For a while, Robin stared at the door of the clinic. Something about the woman...felt familiar.

**\- Later at Night-**

The taverns in Ferox were always lively during the night and even more with the tournament going on tomorrow. Sophia sat in the bar with Anna, who she had learned arrived in Ferox in the morning. As much as the two women tried to convince Lysithea to join them, the violet haired girl did not want to risk being seen. So right now, it was just Anna and Sophia, drinking buddies.

"And then I teared that fucker apart!" Sophia cackled madly as Anna was laughing along.

"Boy, I wish I was there to witness it!" Anna laughed as Sophia took a shot of liquor.

She was glad Ferox sold tequila in this world. Well, it was just called alcohol, but she'll go by the name they call it in her old world.

"So, how have things been for you so far?" Sophia asked, feeling a slight buzz.

She had drunk 5 shots so far, and still isn't wasted.

"Sales have been pretty good! That information you gave me, the best decision I ever made! I made a lot of coin and managed to help the village strike a deal to open a trading route!" Anna grins as Sophia nodded.

"Glad that helped you out." Sophia smiled a bit, "So, anything new?" She asked, referring to information.

"Well...." Anna frowned a bit as she swirled the liquid in her cup, "Tensions between Plegai, Ferox, and Ylisse are rising. There has been an increase in attacks, and I got reports of Grimleal doing suspicious activities. But the biggest news is....rumors." her red eyes looked up to her.

"What rumors...?" Sophia whispered, suddenly sober.

"Thankfully just that Ylisse and Ferox are becoming allies but.... there are rumors of a woman who can cure others with no magic.... people are calling her, _The Saint f Archanea_ because she is affiliated to no one." Anna muttered as she stopped swirling her cup.

A sense of dread fell over Sophia as the eyes of the red head returned back to her cup. This was what Sophia feared. Rumors about her starting.

"The rumors have not reached Grimleal, so you are safe. But....they have reached the ears of the Exalt, Emmeryn. As well as the Khans. But if no one knows their identity, you should be safe." Anna muttered and Sophia nodded.

"Still, I am worried. Question, do you know someone I can trust so I can hire them to gather information for me?" She asked and Anna gave her an offended look.

"What am I?! Chop liver?!" She says and Sophia shook her hands frantically.

"No! No! That's not what I meant!" Sophia sighs, "The reason I asked that was because who knows when you and I will be able to see each other again. I need someone who can move quickly and get back to me fast." She explained.

"Oh! Then....well....hmmm...." Anna thought for a moment then spoke, "I know someone. They may be a bit on the rugged side, but they are reliable, and you can trust them. Can I have your address?" She asked.

Anna handed her her small notebook and Sophia wrote down where she lives.

"Another thing......" Sophia muttered, "Where can I buy an owl?"

"Owls?! Well.....hmm... There is a magic shop here in the capital. I think they got you covered there." Anna shrugs, "Anyhow, it's getting late. I'm heading off. And you?"

"I'm going to stay here for a bit." Sophia muttered and Anna nodded.

**\- 2 Hours Later -**

Her mind was a bit fuzzy, but she was still sober enough to head to her inn. Sophia wore her cloak and black veil over her face to hide her identity. At times, she worried someone would recognize her. It was paranoia from her old life, but she would always be cautious. It was late at night and for some reason, she decided to go to the park. It had been awhile since she's been there. It took a few minutes to arrive, but she let go a small sigh of relief when she saw there was a lantern lit nearby. She went to sit down at the bench, relaxing a bit. These past few weeks have been hectic but today just made her stress levels grow even more. She heard footsteps approaching and turned her head a bit, seeing it was Fredrick. It was odd seeing the man out but then again, Ferox is still very lively during the night.

"Pardon to disturb you. You seem...lost in thought." He muttered and Sophia just shook her head.

At least he couldn't see her face, so she guessed talking to him normally wouldn't be so bad.

"It's alright. What's a guy like you doing out here? Swept away by the celebration?" She asked and the man chuckled a bit.

"Yes and no. Unfortunately, my Lord and colleagues have all gone to the celebrations. I lost them in the crowd." Fredrick sighs and Sophia smiled a bit.

"Why don't you sit down?" She says and he raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm sure your Lord and allies are fine. Based on your expressions, you seem to care about them a great deal. Besides, the Capital is a safe place."

"Sigh....very well. Please excuse me." Fredrick sighs and sits next her, around 3 feet apart.

"The snow is lovely tonight." She held her hand out to the sky, letting the snow fall, "It had been a long time since I've seen snow."

"Are you not from Ferox?" Fredrick asked.

"No. I'm not Ylisse or Ferox either. I'm a foreigner traveling the lands." Sophia says as she brings her hand down, seeing the small snowflakes that dropped on it.

"I see. I recommend visiting the capital of Ylisse, Ylisstol, when you have time. The place is very lively and during this month, the flowers are in bloom." Fredrick smiled a bit as he spoke of his homeland.

"Your homeland.....you speak fondly of it." She muttered and he nodded.

"It is where I was born. As a knight, I serve my Lord and his family but also to protect my people. With tensions rising between Plegai, more people are at risk." He says and she nodded.

"Make sure not to overwork yourself. Occasionally, it's good to relax." She says and he frowned a bit.

"I do not understand." He says and she chuckled.

"You'll figure it out one day. Until then, watch over those you care about. You are lucky...for me....I am no longer able to return to my loved ones." She frowned a bit.

"Forgive me if I may sound rude....but...were they lost in war?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No." Sophia muttered, "You have a home to return to. I don't. For I can never return back to my homeland. It's path to return does not exist. It has been difficult these past few months to adapt to the environment here in Archanea." He looked at her hands, "I made an oath to save lives.....here....I have to kill in order to survive....." she looked up to the sky.

Fredrick could hear sorrow in the woman's voice as he watched looking up to the night sky. Even if a hood and veil covered her face, he wondered if perhaps, she was holding back tears.

"It is never easy to take life. You do not have to get used to it. Do not force yourself to become numb to it." He says and she turned her head just a tad bit to him.

"Thank you..." she muttered, and stood up, "Seems my time is up. Good luck at the tournament." She says and begins to walk away, disappearing into the dark.

Fredrick was silent and then blinked.

"How did she know I was taking part in the tournament?" He muttered and stood up to go the direction she went but noticed something glint on the ground.

He walked to it and knelt to pick it up. It was a gold colored circular shape device with spider lily design engraved on it. He was confused. He had never seen such a magic tool before. He noticed a bottom on its top and clicked it, nearly throwing the thing away when it opened like a clam. His eyes narrowed as he looked inside it. It made a strange ticking noise as he saw some sort of miniature stick making the noise. There were also numbers, seeming as if they told the time of the day and night. But what caught his attention was the picture that was inside. It was so clear and detailed, unlike any of the pictures in books he had seen. The picture had an old woman with light orange colored hair laughing in joy as the young man next her was holding a cake with candles. Sitting on a chair with a look of pure joy, was a little girl with orange red colored hair, her eyes on the cake.

For tomorrow is the tournament and the gears of fate started to make the first turn.

**Chapter 7: Twisted Face**

**[------]**

**_Hey guys! It's me! The new semester is starting in a few days so Updates will be a lot slower. The same case will be for Shattered Songs of Faith, which I am taking a temporary break from. The heat over here is horrible and really kills my motivation. Add that the fact the PG &N is going to be cutting off power for certain days, it's hell. _ **

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**_Now onto updates. Shattered Songs of Faith will either be updated by the end of this month or next month. A Dark Saint's Heart next update won't be till next month._ **

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**_As for your guy's question on Sophia. She was inspired actually by Santos, a character from a story called Stolen Remedy by Stormtide Leviathan. She was also inspired by Edelgard and Mercedes. Strange combination, I know. _ **

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**_If you guys want to talk and hang out, or even advice on how to improve your writing, join the discord, Fanfiction Tree House! Discord code is: 9XG3U7a_ **


	8. Mirror Weapons

_The thundering sound of drums played loudly as dancers danced to the rhythm of the beat, felt by the soles of their feet. Confetti and fireworks were launched in the air as the people of Ferox danced and cheered for the tournament today. Venders selling out fast because of customers trying to buy their food on time to get front row seats as fast they can. Civilians betting who will win the tournament. Boy, was Anna making a lot of money out of this. There were people celebrating the battle of the arena by throwing a grand feast, some perhaps drinking a bit too much. All over Ferox, it was like a giant festival. At the arena, there are two balconies reserved for the khans to watch the tournament along with their selected few. Those that will be fighting are sent to the training pits where the gates to let them pass to the battlefield is. Both sides, one represents the warriors of the West Khan and the other the East Khan. Every 5 years, the tournament is held to decide which Khan will rule Ferox for the next 5 years. Feroxi warriors’ value physical strength and skill above all else. To them, they speak louder than words._

**[-----]**

Sophia was busy in the clinic packing the rest of the medicine needed to be dropped off at the West Side of the arena. Where Lucina and Alm were along with the team they will be leading. She had Lon'qu drop off the East Side supplies because Lysithea did not want to risk running into Virion again. The woman let out a small sigh as she picked up the box and began jogging through the hallways to reach the underground pit. She arrived just on time, even if the tournament does not start in another 4 hours. Arriving, one of the mages spotted her and quickly opened the wooden door for her. She thanked them and quickly put the wooden crate on the table. Everyone gathered around, except Lucina and Alm. The two were busy whispering to each other and have yet noticed her presence. At this, Sophia sighs and walks over to them, then grabs them by the ears, pulling them to the table with the group.

"Ow,ow,ow,ow!" Alm screeched while Lucina was hissing like a cat.

The mages and armored knights chuckled as she let go of the kids and then went back to the other side of the table.

"Now that I have everyone's attention," she looked at the group, "these are vulneraries that you will be needing during the battle. These are made specifically to heal your wounds and stop any bleeding. As well as to give you a small power boost. As a bonus," she picked one up and popped it open.

The scent of black berries and honey filled the air, making the females sigh in bliss.

"You won't be tasting bitter herbs. Congratulations, you all just got yourselves an upgrade on them." She extended her hands as she presented them to the box.

"WHOOOOO!"

Looking down the hallway, it could be heard from the other side that they were also happy they won't be tasting bitter herbs. Sophia had left a note explaining the new vulneraries won't taste like bitter herbs but like fruit and honey. As well as what it does. The group let go of chuckles while Lucina and Alm were trying to fight off smiles. The woman chuckled a bit and spoke.

"Good luck out there to all of you. And another thing." She says, "If I catch any of you doing something stupid before the battle, I can guarantee I'll be putting my foot up your asses." And everyone just nodded.

With that done, Sophia waved them goodbye since she already knew of Lucina's plan. And since Alm was her retainer, it was obvious _(to her at least)_ that the two planned to lose to ensure Ferox aids Ylisse. Jogging down the hallway, she made her steps become silent like a ninja as she got closer to the East Side of the pits. She could hear The Shepherds talking to each other, Robin explaining the plans regarding who will be in the field.

"Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, Miriel, Vaike and I. Everyone is good with this team?" Robin asked and everyone nodded.

"So, does that mean the rest of us watch from the balcony with Khan Flavia?" Stahl asked and nodded, unfortunately.

"Ah, phooey!" Sully snarled as she crossed her arms, "I was hoping I got a shot! Eh, you win some you lose some. Tch." She shrugged.

"Aye! Teach here will show me how it's done! Wait, where's my axe?!" And an instant groan from a few and a couple of chuckles.

"Ah! Found it! It was on my waist!" Vaike grins and Sully smacked him on the head.

The two began bickering while Kellam told them to calm down. But of course, no one noticed or heard him. Except Sophia, who has a small smile on her face. She turned and walked the opposite direction, heading to explore Ferox a bit more before the tournament.

Unknown to her, Robin had felt her presence but didn't say anything. She was able to sense that the woman meant no harm and that she was genuinely happy to see them getting along. Interacting. What Sophia didn't know was that Robin sensed that deep within her, she wanted to interact with them, but was holding back.

_But why?_

**[------]**

The streets were lively, filled with joy as people celebrated the tournament. There were stalls that were set up for arm wrestling matches as well as rugby. Sophia was honestly surprised to see the sport exist in Archanea. But then again, many of the modern sports from her time did originate from the medieval and ancient past sports from many countries. Walking down one of stone stages built in the capital, she saw dancers performing to music being played from the musicians. The traditional dances of Ferox reminded her of the ones from Greece, Aztec culture, and Africa. In Africa, dance was athleticism and a graceful beauty flowing with rhythm. Some dances were done marking the experiences of life, encouraging abundant crops, and healing the sick soul and body. In Aztec culture, dance represents the eternal search of man for cosmic harmony and integration, both of his body and his spirit. And for Greece, folk dances were most held in lieu of grand and extravagant celebrations and were also used in wartime preparations as a means to give soldiers the confidence they needed before going out to battle.

Sophia was suddenly hit with a deep pang of homesickness. Even if she didn't have much of a social life in her old world, there were times she would go out to enjoy herself. Especially when they were going to festivals near the area she lived, she always loved to go. She would buy food, at times even join the dance groups and participate in them. Dance with different people when it was time. The different cultural dances she would learn for fun.

"Breath..." Sophia quickly took a deep breath to compose herself and looked back to the show.

She blinked a bit as she recognized the single dancer who wielded ring blades as part of her dance. Long pink haired tied in a ponytail flowed beautifully as the dancer moved with grace. Her long bangs were long braids that were on the right and left of her head. She wore a gold headband. Her clothing was a white colored silk like dress with transparent black puffy pants. Her sleeves were that same as her pants, and in her hands, she held ring blades as she spun on her heels beautifully. She bent back a bit, waving her arms slowly, like a belly dancer, becoming one with the rhythm of the beat. Sophia knew who this was. This was Olivia. The beautiful pink dancer along with her group dancers performed beautifully, almost like a ballerina. The music stopped and the audience clapped, praising the performance. The dancer gave a shy smile as she and her group waved at the people. Sophia smiled as she was about to stand up, not paying attention that the fact that at least two dancers were bolting her way.

"Excuse me!" She turned and flinched when two female dancers with beaming smiles on their faces, "We've never seen your face before! Are you a traveler?" They asked.

"Yes....." Sophia muttered and their smiles grew even more.

"Prefect! Come!" And they grabbed the hands, dragging her to the stage.

"New victim!" Many people laughed and immediately Sophia knew what was about to happen as they took her to the stage.

This was something that would usually happen often in her old world, during festivals especially. Groups finished dancing, sometimes in the middle of their performance, they pulled different people in to join them. Or, after the performance, they would pull people into the group and have them dance with them.

" _Fuck_." Sophia mentally cursed as the crowd was cheering and Olivia gave her a shy smile.

"Hello!" Olivia smiled, "You must the traveler that caught the girl's eyes. We have tradition here in Ferox where a traveler joins our next performance. W-Would you like to join us?" She stuttered.

It was honestly a cute sight, but Sophia let go of a sigh and smiled a bit.

"Sure." She says and the crowd and dance group cheers.

Olivia nodded and began showing her the steps. It was fun. Learning the steps of the dance. Olivia was a bit surprised to see someone learned simple steps fast. She wondered if.... possibly the woman could learn a more difficult dance. Seems like the dancers thought the same thing because they immediately circled around Sophia and handed her ring blades. Sophia eyes went wide and about to protest but unfortunately the music started. The blue haired woman was in a bit of panic as the dancers started getting in formation and circled around her. But the rhythm of the drugs was oddly familiar.

"Wait...I know this beat..." Sophia muttered and after a few more minutes of tapping her foot, she finally understood.

 _"Embrace the dark! You call a home!"_ Without even thinking, she started singing out loud, raising her arms up in front of her, and moved her hands gracefully.

Many were taken back by the sudden singing but many in the crowd began to encourage it, cheering. The dancers grinned to each other, happy with their pick.

" _Gaze upon an empty white throne! A legacy of lies, a familiar disguise!_ " Sophia moved her body with ease, like if she was an ocean wave.

Her voice matched the rhythm of the music as she felt the beat at the soles of her feat. The drums made the ground vibrate in a way that she could count numbers.

" _1,2,3,4."_ Each time the next beat began, she counted, moving her body in a way that would match it.

The beat was fierce. Filled with a strong force, moving her body with ferocity. Her hips moved in circular motion along with her hands, holding the ring blades. She noticed Olivia now at the center of the stage with her, the two women giving each other firm nods, then spun to the opposite directions.

" _Sing with me a song of conquest and fates!_ " The two females sang fiercely, the crowd going wild as the two bent backwards, waving their hands up and then slowly brought them down.

" _The black pillar crack beneath its weight! Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone!_ " The two bent back up, spinning like ballerinas, then balancing on one foot, bending their body forward.

It was as if two mirrors were dancing together. Not too far, Alm and Lucina had gone out to rest a bit before the tournament till they heard the crowd going wild. The two were confused but went to check just in case. Lucina gasped when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd, hiding behind a pillar.

"What are you doing here?!" Alm whispered hissed at the individual and they nearly had a heart attack.

"Gods! You two nearly gave me a heart attack!" They jumped and sent Alma a glare, "You could have just tapped me on my shoulder!"

"What's going on?" Lucina asked and they chuckled a bit, a sad smile gracing their lips.

"Take a look yourselves." They saved and the two looked over and eyes went wide behind the mask.

" _Lost in thoughts All alone_!" Sophia and Olivia sang together, stomping their feet, spinning opposite directions of each other.

Then they threw the ring blades into the air, spinning once more, back to back, they each caught their blades, right now the drums stopped.

"WHOOOOO!!" The crowd went wide as the two females pant, trying to catch their breaths.

The groups of dancers squealed and cheered as they surrounded the two women, praising them. It was honestly a cute sightseeing the two shies away. A side Sophia rarely shows, but for today, she felt expressive. The two women looked at each other and could help enter giggle fits of joy. Both began praising each other's skills as well as techniques. Alm and Lucina could only look in shock as the individual smiled sadly.

"I haven't seen either of them look so happy in many years. I wish there were a way to save this moment." The individual said and blinked multiple times when Alm was waving a small piece of paper, the size of a wallet.

"Already ahead of you." He said and handed it to him.

"Haha! You really captured the moment well." They laughed a bit but gave them a sad look, "Are you sure you did not want to keep it?" They asked.

"No." Alm turned to leave, his voice cold, "I don't want anything that has _her_ face on it."

"Then why did you take the picture then?!" The individual yelled, " They are alive! They are here in front of you! You still hold a grudge?!" They snarled.

"Enough, both of you." Lucina stepped in between them before they got into a fist fight, "You need to understand that scars don't heal easily."

"I know they don't." The individual frowned at them, "But seeing them happy...compared to the future...tch." they turned to look back to the stage, their lip quivering a bit, "I hope you don't regret your decision." And they left.

Alm took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down, gritting his teeth. Lucina looked at him worried that she heard him mutter.

_"The only grudge I hold...is against myself."_

**[-------]**

"It has been many years since I saw someone dance so good!" Olivia smiled warmly to Sophia.

Sophia felt like Olivia's smile was blinding, as if she was looking at the sun. The two women along with the dancer group were heading to the area since Olivia and her battalion were part of the opening ceremony. In Ferox, it was a tradition that before the tournament started, there would be an opening ceremony that would have a few performances. A way to motivate the crowd as well as the fighters. Sophia smiled a bit and nodded.

"I used dance as a hobby in my homeland." She answered and Olivia nodded.

Olivia was surprised she didn't feel shy around the woman and was able to talk freely with her. Usually, she doesn't like people watching her dance but having a dance partner on the stage made her feel less intimidated.

"Ghaa!" One the dancers suddenly yelled, "We need to get to the arena now! We got 10 minutes left!" Anndddd at that, **EVERYONE** bolted.

**\- Ferox Arena -**

"You're late." Lysithea scowls a bit as Sophia literally slammed through the door of the clinic, barely making it back on time.

"S..Sorry! I had...gasp...too much fun!" Sophia panted as she was trying to catch her breath, "What...I miss?"

"Nothing really." Lysithea handed her a glass of water, "Anyhow, you, me, Felix and Lon'qu have been invited to watch the tournament from the balcony with Khan Basilio!" She grins.

"Oh! Nice. I like the high-end view." She says and the girls got their purse, quickly leaving towards the west side.

**[-----]**

"Ah! You two made it! Right on time too!" Khan Basilio laughed wholeheartedly as he sat on his throne.

On the right side, there were stone chairs carved into the wall, where Felix and Lon'qu sat, it was the same with the left side, where her and Lysithea sat down. She sat down on the left side of Lysithea because it was closer to the table of food that was behind them, around 5 feet away. A few guards were also set up to make sure no one dared and tried to attack the Khan. Two torches were set up in the back to light the area up. The same set up was done at the balcony that was all the way across. On the West side, Khan Flavia sat on her throne, with the rest of the shepherds also. Some of them, like Sully, were standing up. However, Sophia noticed how Virion stiffened when his eyes landed on Lysithea. The purple hair woman only narrowed her eyes, and Felix noticed.

"Lon'qu, switch seats with Lysithea." He says.

"Excuse me what?" Lon'qu gawked at his friend, and Felix just glared.

"You heard me. Now move." He growls and Lon'qu just looked back and forth till Sophia just stood up and walked over to them.

"Go Felix." She sighs and he gives her a nod, while Lon'qu had a pure look of betrayal.

Basilio had let out a hearty laugh while Lon'qu tried to scoot away a bit, since now Sophia sat next to him.

"It's starting!" Stahl yells excitedly from the other side and the gates to the arena open.

Drummers, dancers, and performers run out the gates, people cheering and whistling. It was the opening ceremony to celebrate the next battle of the Khans.

"Very interesting." Sophia spoke, "I like the ceremony and such. From what I heard; it is a tradition of your people to do this ceremony in the beginning of the tournament. To motivate but also some sort of blessing?" She says.

"Hahah! You got part of it right!" Basilio laughed, "The opening ceremony is done, like you said to motivate and encourage the people and fighters. But also, to give our thank you to our ancestors for the hardships they endured and for the blessings the land gives us. It is a form to wish good fortune, respect and luck to both the East and West side of Ferox." He explained and Sophia nodded, looking back to the arena.

She saw Olivia dancing a different one from the one earlier. This dance seemed to be more spiritually connected to land, based on the way she moves her body. Since coming to this world, Sophia has appreciated learning more about it, since the game did leave out a lot of details that you don’t know of. Unless you experience it in person.

Sophia was happy to have a nice VIP seat. As the ceremony finished, and Olivia bolted off the stage ( _earning a few chuckles from the audience_ ), the fires of the torches dimmed just a bit, allowing the place to darken. Another gate opened, allowing a Ferox mage to walk out, holding a magic stone. The audience began cheering, Sophia immediately figured out the man must be an announcer.

"Welcome all to the annual tournament! The time has now come for the next ruling Khan to be decided!" The announcer yelled into his magic tool and the crowd roared.

"On the Khan Basilio side, ruler of the West, we have the two mysterious swordsmen! Step forward!" He extends his hand towards the east gate, the metal bars going up to allow entry.

Marth walked with poise and grace, his posture straight as he held his chin up high yet held a stoic look despite the mask. Besides him, walked Alm, like a royal retainer. But Sophia noticed something strapped onto his back. It seemed to be some sort of lance. Not to also mention the sword on his waist. Following behind him, was the team they will be leading. Three mages, four armored knights, two mercenaries, one fighter and barbarian.

"I introduce Marth and Alm! The mysterious swordsmen that took down Felix an---Ghaaa!" The man barely jumped on time to dodge a lightning spell that came from the sky.

"Felix!" Lysithea scolded the man who had raised his Leviathan Sword to electrocute the mage.

The khans and many others laughed at the scene while Felix just grumbled as he was forced to sit back down and put his sword away. Lon'qu just shook his head but raised an eyebrow as he saw Sophia snickering. The man coughed and resumed but skipping the part he was originally going to say.

"N-Now, onto the East side! All the way from Ylisse! Can you believe it?! I present to you the warriors of the East Khan Flavia!" They shouted and the gates opened.

In all his glory, Chrom walked forward with his head held high, the Falchion on his waist. His cape flowing in the wind made him look more badass. Sophia had to admit, he looked _hot_.

" _Bad Sophia_!" She smacked her own cheeks to keep bad thoughts from entering her mind.

Next to Chrom, Frederick rode on his horse, his own lance strapped onto his back, his shield equipped on his left arm. On Chrom's left side, stood Robin. Now seeing the woman in her full glory, there was determination in her eyes as she held her tome tightly. Behind them was Vieke, his axe over his shoulder, ready to strike, and he looked ready for battle. Lissa, despite shaking just a tad bit ( _Lissa: I'm not!_ ), held her staff, and refused to back down. Lastly, besides her, was Miriel, the woman pushed her glasses up, fixed her witch hat, and was ready to see how things go.

"Not bad...." Sophia muttered, "A cleric to heal. A mage to deal wide range damage from distance. A knight of cavalry to deal heavy damage in swift movements. A lord with gorilla power ( _Lysithea snorted. She knew she was talking about Chrom._ ) A tactician to give precise orders and read the field but also give magic damage. Lastly, a fighter who can easily break through the defenses of armored knights." She muttered to herself as she crossed her arms and legs.

Her eyes calculating as the announcer began to speak once more.

"All the way from Ylisse! Prince Chrom of House Ylisse and the Shepherds! Their names are, Frederick the Wary!" And Sophia slapped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from bursting out laughing.

Looks like the same case was going on at the other side also. Frederick has a scowl on his face.

"Lissa, Second Princess of Ylisse! Vaike, Fighter of the Axe! Robin, the Tactician! Miriel the Sorceress! ( _Miriel: MAGE!_ )! These are the Shepherds selected for battle! Everyone, in positions!" The announcer yelled and the duos team scattered.

"Chrom, look!" Lissa yelled once she recognized Marth, however Sophia did not expect that they also recognized Alm.

"I see them..." Chrom narrowed his eyes as the duo were silent.

"I did not expect them to see them here." Frederick comments as he felt like Alm's eyes were on him only.

On the other side, Alm's hands were clenched into fist, shaking, trying to calm himself down, but he gasped a bit when he felt a hand hold him. He turned his head a bit, seeing a rare soft smile on Marth's face.

"Oh my." Sophia raised a dandy hand over her mouth.

"Marth! Alm!" Chrom yelled out, "One question before we begin?" He was only met with silence from the two.

"Hmph. Fine, then. Our swords can speak for us!" And he stepped forward, unsheathing his sword.

Spinning the Falchion with his right hand and then holding it with both, he pointed it at Marth, who took a step forward as Alm remained where he was. Chrom's eyes went wide as Marth unsheathe his own sword and pointed it at him. The same gold colored metal with the ancient symbols. It was as Chrom was looking at the mirror image of Falchion.

"Where did you get that?" The prince narrowed his eyes as a bead of sweat trickled down his face.

Only he was met with silence as Marth was ready to attack.

"There's no way..." Chrom muttered then yelled his war cry as he jumped in the air, and spun like spinning wheel, his sword clashing with Marth's.

The battle scene played out like in the game. Sophia's eyes observed as she had her arms crossed. The audience was cheering for their favorite warrior, betting who would win. She spotted Anna not too far from the stone stairs that lead to the audience seats, taking wagers. The clash of the swords brought back Sophia's attention to the field, hearing Chrom ask Marth who taught her to fight the way she did. After all, the fighting style she uses is the same one as Chrom's, gorilla force. Marth answered that it was her father that taught her as she did the same spin attack on him. The prince barely dodged the attack. The prince felt like he was fighting a mirror.

"We should keep our distance." Robin pursed her lips together, her eyebrows furrowed together, "While Martha is a gifted swordsman as well as his soldiers for this fight, Alm is a wild card. We don't know his form of battle. The only thing we see him do is cast healing magic. That is, it. We should mind our distance." She muttered and the others nodded as Chrom jumped back and landed next to her.

"What should we do?" Lissa asked, worried.

"Vaike, Miriel and Lissa. I trust you three to take out the mages, barbarian and mercenaries?" Robin smiled as she made her tome float in front of her and readied her Leviathan sword.

"Teach here will knock ‘em good!" Vaike smirked and Miriel nodded along with Lissa.

"Good. Frederick and Chrom! You both and I will take out armored knights and the fighter! After that, it's straight to Alm and Marth." She clarified.

The group nodded and began charging forward, then suddenly split into two groups. Miriel, Vaike, and Lissa to the left to take out the mages, barbarian, and mercenaries. Of course, this tournament is not a bloody massacre. Thankfully, it's only to knock your opponent out. When you or your opponent are defeated, they are warped out of the field and back to the training pits. Sophia was impressed by how well Robin's team was doing as Alm and Marth only watched as their warriors fought. Lissa used a fog spell to blind the mages then Miriel fired multiple fireballs at them, forcing them to enter a defensive position. With the fog, Vaike took advantage and appeared behind them, using the back of his axe to knock them out. The crowd cheered as the first three mages were warped out, earning three points for the East Khan.

"Damn." Basilio cursed and Sophia was silent as she watched along with the others.

On the other side, the Shepherds were cheering on their comrades.

The left team then moved onto the barbarians. Despite being a war cleric, it was a bit amusing to see Lissa using her staff like a lance. The girl spun it as she quickly dodged the goblets of a barbarian and...

" _Ooohhhhhh!_ " Sophia cringed as did many in the arena at what they just witnessed the girl do.

The barbarian's mouth was frothing as his eyes rolled up, and fell to the ground, tears running down his eyes as his hands were over his nether regions.

"I got him!" Lissa held the staff up proudly ( _Is that a speck of blood?!_ ) in the air and charged at the mercenary who was recovering from shock.

"Oh...gods..Lissa." Sophia had her hand over her forehead and shook her head.

Lissa used the top of the staff like a bat and swung it underneath the barbarian, hitting him right in the groin.

The fact that even Felix, Lon'qu and every single man in the arena was shaken, like if it was them that she had hit. Like if they knew the pain the man just went through. Hell, even poor Alm hunched down a bit, like if he was protecting himself.

"Well, that man is not going to be able to mate." She says bluntly while Lysithea was trying not to laugh, "I'll check on him after the tournament."

"Wait what?" The group turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"What?" She looked at them confused, "It's not like I have never seen a naked man before. As a doctor, we treat patients of all kinds. I've seen a man's nether regions many times." She bluntly says.

"Cough! Cough! Changing the subject!" Lysithea quickly says, "Looks like the mercenaries got taken out also!" She pointed back to the field.

Everyone looked back and of course, the mercenaries were also warped away. Along with the armored knights and fighters. However, the celebration is short lived.

"Wait." Robin suddenly noticed Marth was standing alone, "Where's Alm?!"

**"AHHHHHH!"**

Sophia had bolted up from her seat along with the other three, to the edge of the balcony as the trios piercing screams filled the air.

"What on earth....?" Sophia covered her mouth with both hands as she saw all members of the left team were knocked out cold.

They all laid on the ground motionless as they were warped away, and Sophia saw Sumia along with Donnel and Stahl rush down to the training pits. Alm only raised his left arm, where he wore a long steel cuff bracelet that stopped midway to his elbow. Raising his sword, he glided it across, the metal scraping against it. It was obvious he was sharpening his sword as he turned to look towards Frederick, Chrom and Robin.

"I only knocked them out." He stated as he pointed his sword at them.

Marth took a step forward, immediately alerting them that he was on the move.

"Frederick, I trust you to take care of him?" Chrom whispered and Frederick nodded.

"Of course, my lord." The knight answered and turned his horse towards the boy.

"We'll take care of Marth." Robin says and the knight gives them a firm nod.

"Very impressive." Khan Basilio muttered as he stroked his chin, "The boy moved as if he was the wind itself. He easily took down three of the Shepherds. Looks like I may win this year after all!" He grins.

Of course, those of the west side were cheering and getting excited that they may win their bets. Khan Falvia gritted her teeth, feeling nervous as did the other Shepherds. Alm whistled and one of the gates open, loud neighs was heard as a gray stallion came running into the field. The boy quickly jumped and landed on the saddle, putting away his sword. He reached back and pulled out a gold colored elongated cone shaped lance with a very sharp tip that almost looked like a needle. Part of it was made of blue colored metal as he held the handle of it.

Frederick's eyes went wide as he recognized it. It was the very same lance he was wielding.

" _Where did you get that?"_ Now the question Chrom said to Marth had come out of his lips as they prepared to charge.

It was a stare down. To them, they had closed off all sound around them, only focusing on each other. The air was becoming much tenser and they drowned out the battle between Chrom and Robin against Marth. Frederick narrowed his eyes, his body suddenly in a straight posture, the grip of his lance, tight.

" ** _Oh..._**." Kellem flinched, "Frederick...he's getting serious..." Everyone on the balcony minus the Khan turned to him, shocked.

"That's...not a good sign." Sully much as she turned back to look at the field.

She knew what it was like to see when Frederick gets serious in a battle. _It was terrifying._

The two males grabbed the reins of their horses at the same time. The horses neighed loudly as they got on their hind legs and then charged at one another. The lances pointed forward, crackles of lighting forming on them, making the hairs on Sophia's neck stand up. At the same time, Chrom and Marth lunged at each other.

**SLASH!**

A tense silence as Fredrick and Alm, 10 feet apart, opposites sides of each other, their lances still pointed forward as the silence only became more tense. It was the same case with Chrom and Marth. The silence lasted for another 2 minutes when...

**_Thump._ **

Both Alm and Marth, fell to the ground, defeated. Alm fell off his horse, the front of his armor had shattered, revealing the black shirt he wore underneath. For Marth, she nearly unconscious as they fell. Both prince and knight turned back to each other, nodding firmly. Still, Frederick was impressed just as his lord. Chrom's armor on his right shoulder blade was shattered as the armor on Frederick's chest. The crowd broke into cheers, the East side jumping in joy, some even hugging each other. Khan Falivia stood up from her throne, proud as she walked towards the balcony.

"Cough..." Lucina coughed but quickly spotted Alm's body on the ground, "ALM!"

She yelled and bolted over to him, not caring that the armor on her shoulder had also shattered because of the impact. She carefully picked him up, putting his arm over her shoulder.

"Yo...." Alm mumbled and gave her a weak smile, and the two looked up to see the trio of the east side.

"Impressive...." Marth mumbled, "If not surprising..."

"Hey...old man..." Alm smirked a bit as he looked over to Frederick, "Thank you....it's been.. long time since someone took me seriously." Before the trio could ask any more questions, they were warped away.

"That was an amazing performance! I haven't had my blood boiling in years!" Khan Basilio laughed while the announcer declared Khan Flavia the winner and now the ruling Khan of both the East and West.

"It was pretty impressive." Lysithea comments, "What do you think Sophia?" The girl froze as she saw how pale the woman looked.

A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek as she kept staring at the field with wide eyes.

There was no doubt about it. That boy...

**[--------]**

"Done." With her void face and eyes, she stood up after checking the man's nether regions and had him put his clothing back on, "Good news. You can still breed." She says as she was writing down some notes.

"Bad news?" The man asked a bit nervously and she only gave him a small glance and then back to her notes.

"You can't have sex for a month and a half." And the man fell dramatically to his knees, screaming " _NOOOOOOOOO_!!" like Luke Skywalker.

The thing is, he has a wife and the two have been wanting to start a family for a while. So, hearing this news obviously was bad for them. Sophia just shook her head and gave him a bottle of pills.

"Take one each day. It'll help you heal faster. If you take it each day for the next two weeks, you should be healed by the end of this month." She says as the man nodded but whimpered.

Another sigh left her lips as she walked out the room and saw the others giving the door to the other room looks of pity. Sophia looked over to the table and saw the box of medical supplies she brought earlier, a few of the supplies missing. Her eyes became half lidded as she left the West side training pit and began to walk to the East side to treat the others. Lysithea will be finishing the rest on the west side. Sophia's thoughts were in a whirlwind right now. Having watched the fight, too many things were different. First, the battle of mirror weapons should have only been between Lucina and Chrom. Now, with Alm in the picture, it was him and Frederick. There was no doubt about it.

" _Alm is Frederick's son...._ " Sophia thought as she made a turn to the right hallways and put on her hood and black veil to hide her identity.

She arrived at a wooden door and knocked. Shuffling was heard and the door opened, revealing a young boy with a metal pan on his head, dressed in blue, brown slacks.

"Umm...can I help you ma'am?" Donnel asked and Sophia spoke softly.

"I'm the medic in charge of the arena clinic. I came to check on the warriors after I finished healing the others on the west side." She says.

"Oh! Come in!" Donnel quickly moved and allowed Sophia to come in.

The training pit of the east was the same as the others, minus less people. The Shepherds were gathered around and turned to see her.

"I came to heal them." She says as she saw Lissa, Miriel and Vaike still out cold while Frederick had the top of his armor removed along with his shirt.

It was a pretty bad bruise and most likely was the same case with Alm. She noticed Chrom's shoulder was also bruised while Robin had a few scratches and cuts.

"Well, time for work." She thought and walked to an empty table where she placed her bag.

Opening it, she took out three jade stones and had time to float over Lissa, Miriel and Vaike. Everyone watched silently as they observed, some sort of projection like screen appeared in front of Sophia along with four more. During her time in training with Lysithea, Sophia wanted to develop a magic formula that could help her analyze her patients, like the screenings from her old world. With some helpful notes that Henry gave her a few months ago with the help in creating the formula from Lysithea and surprisingly some advice from Felix, she was able to develop a projection spell. She looked at the words that were appearing in English and began speaking.

"No broken bones. Only bruises. The boy only knocked them out. Do you all still have the medical supplies that were sent in earlier today?" She asked and Sumia quickly picked up the box, "Good. When they wake up, have them drink two of the small bottles with the pink liquid. It will heal the bruises as well has any they have internally." She instructed.

"I....never heard of vulnerary doing something like that." Robin muttered and Sophia chuckled.

"That's because it's made in a similar formula to match the one from my homeland." Sophia smirked underneath her veil while Chrom spoke.

"You are a foreigner?" He asked and she nodded a bit.

"Yes. I come from beyond Valm. Anyhow," she walked over to Frederick, "your turn."

"It's you..." she heard him whisper as she placed her hand on his stomach.

The muscle was well toned, and she could see the four pack was exposed despite knowing there are two more underneath the armor. A speck of pink appeared on his cheek because it was most likely he was not used to being touched.

"Magic...tch." she says and looks up to him, "Tell me about your lance. Now." Her voices held authority.

Frederick looked over to Chrom and the prince nodded.

"Sigh....The Emperor's Lance is a relic that has been passed down in my family for 300 years. It was said to once belong to an emperor from overseas. When he passed away, his lance disappeared. On an expedition done by my family, it was found hidden deep in the mountains of Ylisse. The magic in it only activates by the will of the wilders. In this case me...it's meant to stun but also pierce through one's armor." He explained and Sophia nodded.

"Any effects that prevent healing?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Not that I know of." He answered and she nodded a bit.

"Well, I have unfortunate news for you." She looked up to him, if she wasn't wearing her veil, the two would be looking directly at each other's eyes, "That lance had lighting magic and has stunted the magic veins on your stomach, stopping any form of healing." And the room exploded.

"What do mean the lance has that kind of power?!" Chrom yelled in a panic tone and Sophia just waves her hand, dismissing him.

"Relax. I can restore his magic flow on his stomach. It's the same thing as acupuncture." And everyone looked at her confused.

"What's that?" Stahl asked and Sophia smirked.

" _Would you all like an explanation? Or a demonstration?_ " She says and for some reason, everyone shivers.

She went to her bag and pulled a small flat metal box, and opened it, turned towards the others, showing what was inside. It was safe to say, everyone suddenly felt dread towards Frederick. There are needles inside that box.

"And we are done." Frederick quickly tried to stand up to leave but Sophia quickly walked back to him, pushing him down ( _Oolala-SLAP!)._

"Not on my watch." She said and pointed to the empty bed, "Now go lay down, face up. And if you even try to escape...." a water bubble formed next to her and Aqua burst out of it, giggling mischievously, "The fae will help me tie you down."

"Someone who connects directly to the fae?!" Robin gasped as many had surprised looks.

While Frederick internally cursed but did as instructed, the other three woke up. Just to keep people from cringing and sparing their eyes, Sophia pulled the curtains so she could do this peacefully. It was obvious to her the man wasn't happy learning that needles were about to stick into his body, but it had to be done. She was glad she took the book from Plegai that taught how to create magic tools. It was fun and exciting learning more about magic. It felt like she was learning about biology and chemistry all over again. So, the combination of science and the magical arts was her greatest weapon now in this world. She hummed a small tune as she placed cream in Frederick's stomach and from the other side of the curtain, she could hear Lissa, Miriel, and Vaike waking up. Unfortunately, the racket was getting louder so Aqua screamed for everyone to shut up. Miriel went into geek mode seeing the vodyanoi, whipping out her notebook to take down notes. Unfortunately for her and everyone else, they could not understand the language of the fae. Sophia could hear Aqua talking smack about them and desperately trying to laugh.

"The needles are now in, connected with a thin wire." She muttered and picked up two metal clips and put one on the first and last needle.

"What are you doing?" There was a hint of fear in his eyes and suddenly the curtains opened and Miriel came in.

"Forgive me for interrupting but Prince Chrom told me you are using needles to heal Sir Frederick! I wish to see this demonstration myself!" The woman looked literally excited and Sophia quickly covered Frederick's eyes, forcing him to sleep.

The reason was to spare the man the embarrassment of having two females watching him get healed. Not to mention they two of them were going to go into full geek mode talking.

**[------]**

Explaining how the acupuncture method works as well as using a very weak amount of lighting magic to allow a current to pass through the wire to help the muscles work again, was surprisingly fun. Too bad everyone else that was outside the curtains either had looks of curiosity, confusion, or horror. Miriel was fun to talk to that the two of them clicked instantly. They sort of have similar personalities but also likes, which made things like talking to each other easier. Miriel had many more questions about the medical methods Sophia knows but the blue haired woman had to go. Thankfully, the mage understood and told her if she ever has the chance, to come to Ylisse, to the magic academy they have there. That she would make a wonderful professor there. Once she finished healing Frederick, she went to heal Chrom. Thankfully, the bruise on his shoulder was healed easily with the vulnerary she had him drink. Everyone thanked her and she waved them goodbye. She noticed Robin wanted to talk to her more as did everyone else, but Sophia chose to quickly leave. She admits, part of her wants to interact with them all. For some reason, they all made her feel like she belonged with them. But Sophia knew if she stayed with them, things would go bad. She didn't want that.

Currently, Sophia was packing her things away that were in the clinic. Felix and Lon'qu went with Khan Basilio to meet the Shepherds at the arena. Sophia already knew that Basilio would give them Lon'qu to join the Shepherds as a form to show the Alliance of Ferox and Ylisse.

"But Felix also." Lysithea muttered as she was packing her belongings also.

"Well, that's unexpected." Sophia answered as the violet haired woman finished.

"I'm going to head to our inn and finish packing our things. I'll see you later tonight at the celebration!" Lysithea grins and waved goodbye, closing the door behind her.

Sophia let go of a sigh once the girl was gone and stood still for a moment, then she felt it.

"You two can come out now." She muttered and from the shadows, emerged Lucina and Alm.

She turned to them and saw Lucina's shoulder was bruised, like Chrom's and it was mostly the same case with Alm, just like Frederick.

"On the bed." She ordered and they obeyed.

She went to lock the door first and the two went to sit on opposite beds.

"Jacket off along with the scarf." She instructed Lucina and the girl gave her a small nod, removing her jacket.

She wore a plain white tank top underneath and Sophia saw the nasty bruise on her right shoulder.

"And Alm, do the same but take off your shirt completely. Keep the mask on if you want. Same with you Lucina." Sophia says as she opens her bag to take out the acupuncture needles and magic tool.

Alm frowned but did as he was instructed, since she was going to treat him first. Even without the mask on, Sophia could see the physical similarities between Frederick and Alm. It was interesting but what made her raise her eyebrow a bit was that his body was covered in scars. A clear diagonal slash was made on his chest, barely missing the heart. That was a thin one over his stomach, where the bruise is. And one on his shoulder, where he was most likely pierced by an arrow or lance. Lucina's arms had thin scars but the bigger one was the one on her right shoulder, where the bruising was. It looked like a cut made from a sword.

"You're staring." Both commented and Sophia blinked.

"Sorry. Scars made by the Risen?" She asked and they nodded.

Alm laid down on the bad and Sophia began putting the needles. She heard him wince a bit and from the corner of her eyes, saw Lucina cringing. Guess it wasn't the first time they saw her do this.

"Frederick huh?" She suddenly says and Alm went tense as she finished putting in the needles, "So he's your old man."

"Got a problem?" Alm growled and she shook her head.

"Why would I have a problem?" She says as she activated the magic tool and very weak currents of electricity flowed into the needles, "Part of me wants to ask who your mother is but I'll keep my bets to myself." She says as she saw the muscles twitching a bit.

She was betting his mother was either Cordelia or Cherche.

"Hpmh." Alm grunts as she has him remain still and she walked over to treat Lucina.

Walking to the blue haired girl, Sophia saw she has a single streak of silver colored hair, most likely inherited from Robin.

"Is Morgan well?" Sophia asked and Lucina's lips became a thin line.

"I don't know...We were all separated when we arrived. I thought you were also asking about Margert as well." Lucina says as Sophia applied a cream on her shoulder.

"Margret?!" Sophia yelled and Lucina screamed when her bone was put back into place, "Oh, shit! Sorry!" And she quickly used healing magic.

"You sound like you don't know that my mother had twins." Lucina huffed as Sophia finished and grabbed her coat to put back on.

"I didn't!" Sophia screeched as she went back to Alm to remove the needles and used healing magic to make the bruise go away.

"Wait...seriously...?" Alm says as both looked at her surprised as he put on his shirt.

"Just because I know the future doesn't mean I know every detail about it!" Sophia huffed as she cleaned the needles and put them away.

"Anyhow," she sighs, "you both should be well now. Be safe and careful." She said and handed them each a small box wrapped in a blue cloth.

"What's this?" Lucina asked and Sophia gave them a small smile.

"Medical supplies. You both need it for your journeys." Sophia muttered and both were silent but accepted it.

They turned to leave but Sophia spoke.

"I'll keep an eye out for the twins and the others. Be safe you two." She muttered.

The two went silent, giving her a small glance before they warped away.

**[-------]**

It's been hours since the battle and Sophia managed to snatch a good portion of food from the celebration feast before the others spotted her. Especially Robin. The tactician desperately looked like she wanted to talk to her but Sophia avoided her each time. Right now, her and Lysithea were loading their things in their bags, ready to leave. However, Sophia's mind was a bit of a mess for now. First _, Frederick has a son_. The main question is who his mother is. Next, she learned that Robin gave birth to not only Lucina, but twins also. Meaning male and female Morgan. However, in this world, Morgan is the male and Margret is the female. She wondered if it was possible that there may be more children she may not know of.

"So, back to Plegai?" Lysithea said as she munched on a cake pop.

"Yes and no." Sophia suddenly said as the girl looked at her surprised.

"What do you mean? It's still July and the sandstorms become nightmarish in August and September!" The girl pouts and Sophia shake her head.

"What I mean to say is, there is a town I want us to stop at. It's near the borders of Plegai. Should take us two months to get there...." Sophia muttered.

"What's the name of the town?" Lysithea let out a sigh.

"Themis." Sophia answered and Lysithea thought for a moment.

"I know that town. I have been there a few times. I must admit, the nobles there aren't so bad, and the town is well known for its fields of sugar cane. Alright. But before that, we have a visitor." Lysithea points behind her and hears someone on the door knocking.

"Delivery for Sophia Zoni??" And Sophia began groaning that her last name was pronounced wrong.

The woman went to the door and opened it, revealing a Ferox delivery man.

"I'm Sophia." She says and the man nodded.

"Hello! Got a package for ya! Pretty heavy too!" And he handed her a parcel.

Sophia thanked them and closed the door, heading to her bed where she placed it.

"What is it?" Lysithea asked and was getting excited as she watched Sophia unwrap it.

Inside of it, were two circular 12 inches wide leather sheaths. The designs on it were beautifully made and Sophia saw the ruby and emerald embedded onto it. Carefully unbuttoning the strap and opening it, inside were two chakrams that were 11.8 inches wide. The design of it, one was made to have the image of the moon, the other the sun. With colors of red, gold for the sun, and silver and black for the moon. She also saw a 12-inch dagger in its sheath and took it out. The handle of it was made to the shape of a dragon while the blade was made to look wavy but was very much solid and strong. A red blood colored jewel was in the center of the handle. And the blade itself, was etched writing on it.

"Look, there's a note." Lysithea picked a letter and handed it to Sophia.

The woman opened it and began reading its contents.

**_Thank you, Lass, for giving me the freedom to forge these weapons. I took many liberties and made it perfect for someone like you. The chakrams and dagger were made from the material you gave me but also from rare materials that were recently imported in. The chakram is made from Wootz and Umbral Steel, which is very difficult and dangerous to obtain in the mountains of Ferox. It was also made with ores from Valm. As for the dagger, for some reason the image of a dragon came to my mind when I was designing it. This dagger was made using Arcane Crystals, Vemonstone and a new type of metal called Agarthium. Very interesting material. While testing the weapons for their durability, I noticed that any dents made would heal themselves. I was able to confirm with a mage that a few of the materials I used do have magical properties. As for the gems, I decided to make them part of the sheaths that protect your weapons. I couldn't bring myself to use them for building the blade themselves. I could tell by the look on your eyes they hold great significance._ **

****

**_Lass, I hope you put these weapons to good use and use and take care of them well. It has been a long time since I've felt proud of forging a weapon. May Naga watch over you on your journey._ **

****

**_\- Zoltan._ **

Sophia tried to keep her lips from quivering but nodded as a warm smile came on her lips as she closed the letter, holding it to her chest.

"Thank you...." she whispered and turned to Lysithea, "Let's get going."

Lysithea chose not to ask anymore because she could tell that Sophia was genuinely happy as she equipped the chakrams on her waist. The sun on the right and the moon on the left. The dagger she strapped onto her thigh, underneath her pants.

"Have you said your farewells?" Sophia asked Lysithea as they left the inn and to the stables.

"There is no need to." Lysithea grins as they got their pegasus out of the stalls, "I'll see them again soon."

Sophia nodded as they mounted their pegasus and took off to the sky.

The wind today felt easier to breath in.

**\-- Plegai -**

"So, how has our investigation team done with the rumors?"

The room held a dark look as the warriors of Plegai, some shivered in fear as the man sitting on the black marble stone, drummed his fingers on the edge of the throne. Pale tan colored skin, crimson spiky hair. Crimson eyes that held a bored look as they looked down at the people beneath the stairs. His yellow colored cape he wore along with black clothing with a bit of gold. His boots were pointy like a jester, but he was anything but that. General Heriot let go of a sigh and spoke, looking up to his king.

"King Gangrel, our troops and mages have been able to pinpoint where the rumor began. It came to Hydred Village. The villagers spoke of a woman who could heal the people without the use of magic as well as that she is a foreigner. That she comes from a land beyond Valm." General Heriot said as Gangrel narrowed his eyes.

"If I may speak," the audience turned to see Validar enter with Aversa next to him, "your report also said that rumors have also spread to not just around Plegai but also Ferox and Ylisse. We are lucky that the rumor originated here in our country but the fact they have spread farther than our borders is a joke!" He hissed as Aversa tried to maintain a neutral face.

"This woman...." Gangrel's sickly and irritating voice spoke, "Is being hailed a saint by the people of all three nations. If the rumor spreads to Valm, we will have an even bigger problem. So, what exactly has this woman done other than heal and treat our citizens?" He questions with a cold tone.

"Medicine." Aversa spoke, "I had one of my spies investigate the black market. It seems this.... woman named Raven along with rumor of a saint appearing, both originated here in Plegai. One, the woman named Raven sold medicine of high quality. Unlike anything we have ever seen before. Many have tried to replicate the recipe of one of the medicines, but all have failed. This woman possesses knowledge. It seems they are one of the same." She smiled coyly.

All the mages had their interest instantly peaked. Knowledge was what all mages lust after. If this woman possesses knowledge that is unknown....

"So, I propose this." Validar smirked, "Let us find this woman before the Exalt or even the Khans get their hands on her. It is obvious the spirits of our people have greatly improved since this woman has appeared. Villages are thriving once more. The mortality rate has greatly reduced since she has distributed medicine through her travels. This woman....could be a key to us winning the war against Valm." He chuckled.

Gangrel smirked as he stood up from his throne and extended his hand towards the people.

"By my order, find the _Saint of Archanea_ and bring her before me!" He ordered.

"Yes sir!" The mages and warriors yelled and began to leave.

A bead of sweat trickled down Henry's cheek as he turned to walk away. He wanted to get away from this place immediately. This was what he was worried about. Sophia getting dragged into the affairs of a country she had no part of. At the same time, it was his fault for making her work to help the people of the village. Once she and Lysithea return, he for sure is going to make sure the two of them pack their things and leave Plegai. Lysithea because she's been in a war, but Sophia...the woman may have seen death, but her eyes do not know the horrors of war. He can tell...Sophia is hanging on barely by a thread. If one were to break the shield, she has around herself...he doesn't even want to imagine it. For some reason, the image of Sophia covered in blood, surrounded by dead bodies made him want to hurl for some reason. **_No...that image did not fit her._**

"So."

He stopped and hid behind a wall. He could see a group of mages speaking to a battalion of assassins.

"Your job is to infiltrate the Ylisse palace. When the time comes for you all to complete the job, an owl will arrive with the instructions. That is all." The leader of the mages said as he handed them each a bag of gold coins. Henry gritted his teeth. He knew where this was heading.

_"Well...looks like I have to talk to THAT person. Nyhahaha!"_

**_Chapter 8: Mirror Weapons_ **


	9. Themis Rescue

Lysithea wasn't kidding when she spoke about the sandstorms. However, the way to Thesis was taking the road that led to Ylisse. It was going to be Sophia's first time going to the country. A part of her was looking forward to it, and another part was dreading it. First off, there was a slim _(50%)_ chance she could meet Maribelle. Maribelle, from her experience playing the game and listening to the support conversations, can come off a bit pompous. She understands that the blonde woman greatly cares for Lissa, but perhaps a bit snarky she could be? Anyhow, the woman flew through the skies wearing scars to protect themselves as well as goggles. Goggles in medieval times were made of leather and the part where people could look through was made of glass. They looked a bit funny. The pegasus also wore body protection.

"I hate these sandstorms." Sophia commented, "Reminds me of the dust storm I was stuck in at one point in one the nations I went to visit. Sand has the habit in place you never knew was possible" she grumbled.

"I'm already used to this." Lysithea sighs as Opal made a flap of her wings, "We've taken breaks here and there, but we should be arriving at Themis soon. Sadly, the route we decided to take is the shortest way to get there, but it is also the most isolated." She took a sip of her water.

It's true. Miles and miles, they have flown and not a single village in sight. Not even a caravan, which made things a bit harder. The resason for this is because the path they are taking cuts through the mountains of Ylisse and Plegai. This path apparently also had a ghost story to it.

"So...." Sophia had a slight amused tone as she spoke, "I heard that supposedly this road has ghost and many lost souls...." she made her voice fade on purpose.

Lysithea flinched and quickly spoke.

"There is no such thing as a ghost! Now, stop trying to scare me!" The violet hair girl glared, and they continued forward.

Two months of flying and they were still a week away from Themis. Sophia just wanted to reach the town already and jump into a nice hot bath. As the girls continued for the next few days, things were uneventful. Sandstorms, bugs, perhaps battling fucken sand worms, everything went smoothly.

**[------]**

3 days have passed, and the girls are reaching the town in a few more days. Currently, they are resting in an abandoned mine that was not too far from the town. The County of Themis was also well known for having mines in the mountains. Many imports of jewels to different nations mainly come from Thesis. The town was also a place for jewelry lovers. Its mountains and forest terrain were home to many fae, including wyverns. The mine they were resting was decent. The weather has improved greatly since they have travelled the past few days. Lysithea explained it was because they had crossed the border. The weather in Ylisse was comforting, sweet, refreshing, and gentle. Compared to Plegai whose lands were a harsh desert and the heat. Ferox was a winter nightmare. She loves the place but will not live there. Not her cup of tea.

"Hmmm......this tea you brewed...I like it. What herb is this?" Lysithea asked as Sophia was tending the fire a bit.

"It's called plum blossom tea." Sophia muttered as laid back to Ingrid.

The pegasus was asleep despite how hard it was currently raining outside. From the opening of the mine they are in, they had a nice view of the land. Lush forest as far as the eye could see. Fields of sugarcane that would be ready to harvest in October. There are also fields of wheat, barley, and black tea. And not go far from the horizon, was the County of Themis. The buildings and houses she could not see well ( _curse her eyesight_ ), even with her glasses.

"The rain looks like it's going to last till tomorrow night....Tch." Sophia clicked her teeth, "I don't need my glasses fogging up."

"You know you can just take them off. Or...wear those contact lenses? You spoke about." Lysithea said as she took a bite from the mini chiffon cake she had.

"I would use my contact lenses here, but the problem is that I have to change the medical water every day and that type of water doesn't exist here. _Yet_." Sophia says with a small smirk as ideas began to brew in her mind.

"Changing the subject," the blue-haired woman sighed a bit, "there is something that has been on my mind lately and I want your opinion on it." Lysithea gave her a concerned book.

She bends her right leg up, resting her right arm on it, and looks at the woman seriously.

"Do you recall the black book I told you about?" She asked and Lysithea nodded, "In Ferox, when I accidentally dropped my bag, the book fell out. Every single mage in the clinic began to feel dizzy. Nausea, dizzy, sick, weak, headaches. They described it as if needles were being stabbed into them, one by one." Sophia explained.

"You want to see if I have some sort of reaction." Lysithea stated and Sophia nodded.

"After I put the book away, everyone started to feel normal again." Sophia replied and Lysithea nodded.

"Say no more." The woman answered, "Bring it out. I may be able to sense something."

Sophia nodded and grabbed her bag, opening it.

She looked at Lysithea once more, the violent haired woman giving her a reassuring nod. Slowly, Sophia began to slide out the book, the spine was the first thing to be seen. A prickly feeling slowly began to form around Lysithea's head, making her wince a bit. The more the woman slid out the book, the more the feeling increased. Not just her head but around her body as well. She began groaning but forced herself to try and sense something from the book. Like Sophia said, she herself was not having any reaction. Not even their pegasus felt anything. The prickly feeling only increased more; her arms started to feel numb. The book was fully out, now on Sophia's lap.

"HNG!" Lysithea groaned painfully but she felt something from the book.

It was like it was pushing back her magic. As if it was trying to make it disappear. The pain was starting now to become worse and Lysithea slapped her hand multiple times on the stone ground. Her signal to put the book away. Sophia quickly put it back into her bag and crawled a bit towards her.

"Are you alright?" Sophia looked at her worried as she took deep breaths and nodded.

"I'm feeling better now. I have never experienced anything like this before. It is strange. It felt like my magic was being cut off. Like needles being stabbed into my veins. The pain only increased more as it was out. It's possible it may be some sort of defense mechanism from the tome itself." Lysithea explained as Sophai went back to sit near Ingrid.

"I recall Aversa looked very wary when I first got the book." Sophia muttered.

"Wait, Aversa? Sophia, where did you get this book from?" Lysithea asked as she narrowed her eyes.

"From Plegai Castle. Took a few books from there. This was one of them. Validar thought I was one of his research mages and allowed me to take the book. Too bad for him. I'm not giving it back." Sophia muttered as she looked back outside the cave.

"I don't feel malice, but I also don't feel joy. What do you feel when you hold the book?" Lysithea asked.

Sophia was silent for a moment and turned to look back at her bag. She stared at it. The book to her felt like it was calling out to her. It was a strange sensation when she first saw it and then held it in her hands.

" _Comfort_." Sophia muttered, "Yet _sorrow_. _Love_ and _joy_. But also _regret_ and _anger_." She turned back to Lysithea, her eyes a bit emotional, "Is it normal for tomes to have strange feelings?"

When she first held the tome, _Wind_ , it gave her a calming sensation. Like the feeling of a summer breeze, one that helps you relax. At the same time, it was also a feeling of seniority. When holding the tome, _Fire_ , it gave a feeling of boldness. Bravery, confidence, excitement, but also joy. As if you could take on anything. But a tome like _Dark Spikes T_ gave her a feeling of cockiness. Ignorant yet powerful. Prideful.

"There is a belief among mages that _tomes are alive_." Lysithea smiled a bit as she leaned back, "They say that a tome is like a different piece of the soul. _Thorn_ is strong yet wise. Striking its target down like the wrath of the sky. _Arcfire_ is like smoke. Your lungs burn and when used, leaves the bones of your enemy black and charred. But you, you feel as if accomplished more than you think. You feel proud." She finished explaining.

Sophia nodded and leaned back down on Ingrid, her hands behind her head. There was still so much she didn't know. Already she learned so many things of this world that she did not know about. It was exciting but also frightening. Just what was out there? There were far too many questions in this current life of hers. _As if it couldn't get any worse_. She already had so many questions about her own family that overwhelmed her. She recalls doing a DNA test, hoping to learn more about her family. The result? About one fourth of her bloodline was unknown. Even the damn scientist couldn't figure out. She recalls how it was just a bad day and seeing the results had set her off. She was living alone in her dorm and she just threw everything in her sight to the ground. The only thing she never laid her hands on were the pictures of her grandmother, grandfather, father and her half siblings. The anger and frustration just came out like a blizzard that day. It was also the two-year anniversary of the death of her half-siblings and mother. She was 18 years old all those years ago. All she wanted, was to know more of her origins.

After her melt down, and later that night, she had gotten dressed and went to visit her half-siblings' graves. It was in the same graveyards where her grandparents and father were buried. The memory was blur, but she recalls just breaking down and crying in front of the family grave. Wailing loudly as she sat in front of them. She recalls she had brought a sledgehammer and went to her mother's grave, where she had requested for the witch to be buried far away from them. She had taken it up and since the first year, it had become a tradition that on their death anniversary, she would go to her mother's grave and destroy it. It's been repaired every year and she didn't care. She did feel guilty making the graveyard workers work but she was just so angry she didn't care at that point. Iris has commented to her that she should let her mother rest already.

"Fuck no." Sophia thought as she closed her eyes to rest.

She could hear Lysithea's shallow breaths, meaning she had fallen asleep. The woman closed her eyes, recalling her days of these past months. How she arrived at this world. How she met Henry. How she got to learn more of Plegai. How she got to know the people. Meeting a different variety of people. How she got to form bonds with people and make friendships. Her first friend in this world was Henry. While she admits that she was intimidated by him at first, as well as trying to get on his good side, she is genuinely glad he was the first to form a bond with. The two have similarities. Not to also mention their love for dark humor. But also because they share a feature, she hasn't shared to anyone, but Iris. While she can feel pain on the rest of her body, she can't feel any pain on her right leg. Of course, there is a story behind it but that is for another time. Continuing the train of memories, her bond with Mustafa and his family.

He already did so much for her. He didn't exactly welcome her with open arms but over time, he and his family grew closer along with Henry. The familiar feeling of them talking while they ate dinner as well as when she helped treat his men. Or when she would help Ahura cook or even teach some basic medicine knowledge to Dana, it felt like..

"Home..." Sophia muttered as she opened her eyes a bit and looked out once more out the cave.

The sun had set, revealing a beautiful night sky. The stars were brighter, more spacious. For once, she truly was looking at a beautiful night sky filled with millions of stars. Like those pictures she would see in magazines, she could now see the cosmos of stars of red, blue white and many other colors. A feeling of warmth filled her as a small smile graced her lips. The new bonds she has made brought warmth back to her heart. While she still missed her old world, especially her cousin Iris, she doubts she would want to return.

"I wonder what Iris would do if she was here?" The thought crossed her mind.

Sophia can see it. If her cousin was in her group. There never is a dull moment. Iris would be teasing Lysithea about her sweet tooth. She tries to set up dates for Sophia. She would excitedly be exploring every new place they would go to, and maybe try to flirt with Lon'qu.

"I pay to see that." She thought and closed her eyes once more.

It was already getting late and she needed rest.

**_\- Dream -_ **

_The room was made of sand stones, the colors of light brown and dark. The floor was made of a light red marble that glistens a bit. There were shelves filled with books. Piles of books and papers tall as a person were all over the place. There were about two tables filled with potion bottles, magic equipment as well as herbs and other materials. At a desk near the corner, a woman sat as she scribbled down notes in a book. Her face was a blur. Sophia couldn't see her face at all. The only thing she saw was that her hair color was red. The woman let go of a sigh as she stood up and closed the book. It was a hard covered one with black leather._

_"Cough!" The woman coughed and frowned as she saw small droplets of blood on her hand._

_Her condition was worsening by the day and no cure has been found yet. She hears the door to her study open and in comes a man. His clothing looked familiar but like the woman, his face was a blur. The two began to speak, yet their voices were only whispers and murmurs that could not be understood. Yet, the man looked tried but when he held the hands of the woman, so much love and affection was felt. His face was blurred but there was adoration in the way he spoke. The woman smiled sadly and shook her head as she gently touched his cheek. The man wanted to cry but made some sort of promise to her. The woman smiled sadly once more and shook her head._

_The scene changed once more but this time, there was no warmth in this place. It was cold. The man stood in front of a stone bed, where the woman now laid rested with her arms crossed on her chest. Flowers of different varieties laid all around her, her eyes closed. As if she was asleep. But that was not the case. For she has passed on. The man wept as he held her hand and kissed gently the ring on her middle finger._

_"I am sorry my love....I failed you....with the technology of our city...I was not able to save you..." the man wept._

_Sophia looked at him unsure as she watched from behind a pillar. It felt wrong if she just walked out but seems she did not need to. Steps walking down the stairs were heard as the man stopped and turned to look. A mage dressed in fancy clothing walked towards him in silence. His face was also a blur. He stood next to the man in silence for a bit and then spoke._

_"You have my condolences. **[---]** was an amazing woman and one of the most geniuses’ mages to have ever lived. I know this is a horrible time but....I thought I ought to warn you my friend." The mage says and the man narrowed his eyes._

_"What is it? Are the people speaking ill of my wife after she has done so much for them?" The man growled a bit._

_"No. The people of Thabes also mourn her. But....The council has ordered that all her research be confiscated." The mage said and the man looked at him furiously._

_"What?! Those snakes have always envied **[----]** for her research and discoveries! She helped shape Thabes to it is today!" The man snarled and the mage shook his head a bit._

_"I understand how you feel but the council.....they feared the new magic she created. They are even going as far as to hunt down her students who she taught this new form of magic to. So far only 4 have been caught. I had the other 15 quickly escape the city and spread out." The mage said as the man paced back and forth._

_"Those bastards....how dare they....?! **[----]** students meant the world to her! She believed that children and the people are the future! Now that my wife is dead, the council has no problem in getting rid of everything we've worked together on!" The man yelled furiously, and the mage nodded._

_" **[-----]** , I have something to give you." The mage said and the man stopped in his tracks._

_The mage walked up and handed him a wooden box. Inside of it, were multiple vials with crimson liquid in them as well as some sort of flesh that wrapped up in wax paper. The flesh was bloody but did not smell of rot. There was also a strange lock of mint colored hair._

_"This is!" The man looked at his friend shocked, who nodded._

_"I managed to get the second box. I know you secretly stole the first. Do what you must. That is all." The mage said and began to walk back towards the stairs._

_"Why do you do this? Why help obtain it?" The man asked as his friend reached the stairs._

_With his back turn, the mage took a deep breath as his voice was filled with hatred._

_"Because the council has executed my adopted son and daughter. Who were students of your wife. I will never forgive the Senate and Council._

**_\- End of Dream -_ **

Opening her eyes, Sophia held a bitter scowl on her face as she sat up. She stretched like a cat as she felt her bones pop. She sighed a bit as she rolled her neck, hearing her bones crack. Lysithea was still asleep. Opal had put her wing over the girl like a blanket. Ingrid was also still asleep. Sophia carefully sat up and walked to the entrance of the cave, seeing the sun coming up. The heavy rain only turned to sprinkles of water, making the fields be covered in fog. She walked back into the cave and grabbed her bag, leaving a small note to Lysithea that she went for a walk. The roads of the mines were made like train tracks as well as seeing multiple minecarts around the place. This area was abandoned to let it replenish. There is a tradition in Themis that the mountains are alive. That they protect the earth and as respect to Mother Mila, the mines are left alone for 10 years and then back to work for another 10 years. Thus, the cycle has continued since the era of King Marth.

Sophia is being careful because wild wyverns and griffins make their nest high up in places like these. She spotted a wyvern nest around two mine bridges across from her shield a bit as she saw the mother feeding the baby wyverns. Their little chirps and whines were like a cat and bird. She spotted a nice rock to sit at. It also had an amazing view. She took out the book and opened it. The lettering of the pages glowed so faintly that you could barely see it. She began reading it once since part of it she already deciphered.

_ The land has been hit by a drought. Not good. It's a bit difficult finding a magic vein near this area. If I can find at least a thin one, it should be enough to help the fields flourish. Damn you Council. I don't need those old coons telling me what to do. _

**_(---)_ **

_Oh...my beloved dear is working tirelessly again. I keep telling him to take a break, but he won't listen. I curse this weak body of mine, but I do wish I had more time. If only...sigh..._

**_(--)_ **

**_Spell test number 52:_ **

_Finally, I completed it. When I demonstrated the fruits of my labors, I saw how fearful the council became. Especially that croon Hocus. A party of celebration was held by my students and my husband. Soko overdid it on the alcohol again and Alex had to take away the wine bottle. My beloved husband is passed out again. Sigh...seems Eligigos made him drink the wine bottle again. When will my dear learn that he does not have a high alcohol tolerance..._

**[ ---]**

It was clear to Sophia that part of the tome was also a diary. Whoever created it seems to deeply care about people. They speak of their students but also their husband. Though they don't mention their husband's name, it was obvious they loved them with all their heart. Add that with the dream she had last night, it just added more to this mystery. She found the spell that the author of the tome was talking about.

_The spell....Incredible! With this, I'll be able to not only create a new form of magic, but a new era of mage craft can begin! I'm looking forward to what the generations of my lifetime can come up with!_

The tome read and Arisa muttered the spell to herself as she was trying to memorize it. She has yet to test it out but when the opportunity arises, she will. Sophia looked up to the field, seeing the fog clear up a bit. She could see geese flying, leaving the land to head to a warmer place for the winter.

"I should shoot one." Sophia thought and quickly dug through her bag.

She took out the wrist bow she bought and made her aim. Clearing her mind, her eyes became cold, and she released.

The quiet air of the sky was filled with the scream of a goose being shot down for breakfast.

**[----]**

Lysithea had woken up to the smell of delicious food and tea. She yawned a bit and noticed Opal was eating a few vegetables as well as Ingrid. Above the fire, was a cleaned goose that was being cooked over the fire as it rotated.

"Morning." Sophia muttered as she poked at the goose with a stick to check if it was cooked.

"Did you shoot down a goose?" Lysithea blinked multiple times as Sophia nodded.

"I've wanted to shoot one my whole life. In my country it was illegal to hunt them. Well, I'm not there anymore so I finally fulfilled something I have been wanting to do for a long time." Sophia bluntly says while the violet hair woman holds back a snicker.

"Let's eat."

**[---]**

The fly through the skies in Ylisse felt so much more refreshing. The women did not need their protection armors anymore. Lysithea was glad because she couldn't see clearly from the goggles while Sophia was just glad, they were out of the sand. They were looking forward to a warm bath. It was the middle September. The past three days have been peaceful as excitement began to grow in their eyes as the town came into view.

However.....the two narrowed their eyes and they got closer. Their view became clearer and...

"LYSITHEA! FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Sophia roared and the two snapped the reins of their units.

The pegasus neighed loudly and took off at a speed that both weren't expecting at all. Holding the reins tightly, Sophia leaned forward as they got closer. She could see it. **Smoke.** She snapped the reins a bit harder and was getting ahead of Lysithea. But there was no need for orders to be said between the two, they quickly spit. Lysithea to the west entrance where the bandits were coming from as well as the north, where Sophia went. She could see people running for their lives and screaming. A few clerics and troubadours.

"Not good." Sophia thought as she got closer and saw them struggling desperately.

The one leading the bandits was obviously a Grimleal mage and the one desperately leading the defending team was a young woman of curly golden locks of hair. She wore white ribbons, pink and colored armor along with white gloves and brown boots. On her waist was strapped an umbrella and she held a staff with a blue stone. Sophia quickly grabbed her own staff from her back while the other hand she was holding the moon chakram. A Grimleal dark mage was about to deal a devastating blow on the blonde woman. Sophia quickly balanced herself on the saddle and jumped off.

For the blonde woman, she was injured but screamed when a fire ball hit her behind. She could hear laughing and her soldiers trying to get to her.

"Sorry cupcake but you're coming with us." The Grimleal mage laughed as he grabbed her by the back of her hair.

But...it was if a miracle happened. Screams were heard and the mage quickly turned back to look at his men, but his eyes widened at the shocking sight. The blonde woman's eyes went wide as she saw a woman fall from the sky, spinning like a dancer as she landed and cut down a group of five fighters. The clerics and fellow troubadours all could only gawk at what they just witnessed. The blue hair woman opened her eyes and they were wide as she had a frown on her face.

"Who are you?!" The Grimleal mage yelled as the woman stood in the middle of the corpse of his men.

"Lady Maribelle, are you alright?!" The woman yelled and all Maribelle could do was given a nod.

Sophia nodded; she quickly spun her lance with her left hand and slammed the butt of it to the ground. A green colored magic circle appeared, and Maribelle and her soldiers' wounds began to heal.

"Help has also arrived at the west gate!" A cleric yelled and she saw the dark magic circles of multiple dark spikes.

"Ha." Sophia let out a small laugh because Lysithea looked like she was using The Gate of Babylon.

The mage growled and ordered the remaining men to kill her. Sophia once more spun again and jumped forward, now the staff on her back still glowing as now both hands wielded the chakrams. She used the dance Olivia taught her to move around swiftly. From the corner of her eye, she saw Maribelle managed to free herself and was now using her staff to fight the mage the best she can. The next victim to fall had their throat cut open and fell to ground gurgling blood. The next one was a fighter, whose stomach was slashed with the sun chakram. She threw the moon one like a boomerang and managed to cut three more bandits down and then caught it once more in the air. On the other side, Lysithea took down the last bandit and was making her way over to the north gate.

The Grimleal mage roared angrily and charged at Sophia. The blue haired woman lunged towards him, her staff still glowing because she was healing the civilians and Maribelle's soldiers and the blonde woman. Her magic started to go low and it seems the mage noticed because he laughed as she jumped back to dodge his Wind spell.

"Hahaha! What is a weakling like you think you could beat me?! You're overusing your magic! You don't know your limit! The first mistake of a mage!" He needs to make his arms into a fist, charging magic into it.

Sophia barely managed to dodge the fire spell he threw at her and he took that opportunity. It was as if time slowed as she watched his fist make impact with her stomach. The air was knocked out of her lungs, she had never felt such a painful impact before. She spit out blood as his punch sent her flying to a brick wall. One of the clerics nearby managed to use wind magic to keep her from crashing into it.

"Argh!" Sophia coughed out more blood as she was trying to regain her air back to her lungs.

"Ngghhh...." she held her hand over her stomach and with shaky legs, still stood up.

The mage only laughed but suddenly felt a shiver as her eyes snapped open. Not a single sherd emotion was in them. He was far too distracted to notice that she had charged at him, her hand raised like a claw. The black tome in her bag suddenly appeared in front of her, floating, itself pages coming. to life as the text glowed gray. Everyone in the area began to feel dizzy but the mage felt fear as her hand slammed itself on his chest. A gray magic circle appeared underneath them, Sophia's mouth opened to scream.

**"HARVEST!"**

This was the spell she was muttering to herself a few days ago when she was reading the book. The world around them turned gray, like a black and white photo. Glowing like veins appeared all over his body. Sophia knew what this was. They were the magic veins that all beings in this world have. They were like the regular human veins, but these were for magic specifically. There was the sound of glass cracking as Sophia saw each of the veins cracking like glass. The mage's eyes rolled up his head till they were white, from his legs he began to turn gray. In the spot specifically they were standing in, to her, it was like time was frozen. She was watching as his veins shattered like glass, his body turning gray, and becoming stone. The world returned to normal. Silence was all there was as many looked in shock at what they just saw. The Grimleal mage was no longer human, but a stone statue. Sophia took a step back; dread and horror filled every fiber in her as she took another. The moment the tome slammed itself shut, the stone statue of the former mage, crumbled to dust. The tome returned itself back into her bag and Sophia fell to her knees as her hands trembled as she looked at them. There was a glowing gray stone in her right hand. The inside of it twirled like a star, yet there was a strange feeling coming from it. Like if it was alive.

Cheers of joy and victory filled the town as the bandits of Plegai were beaten. Lysithea had Opal and Ingrid land nearby and ran towards her. She had never felt such a feeling before. Casting the spell _Harvest_ felt as if she was holding a block of ice in her hands. The coldness only grew yet the feeling made her feel full. Like if she had a satisfying meal.

"Sophia!" Lysithea ran to her and quickly dropped to her knees, "Snap out of it!"

The blue hair woman only slowly turned to her and gulped.

"I...I...need a drink." Lysithea just nodded and helped her get up.

Maribelle stared at them for a moment but let go of a sigh. She'll speak to this woman later as well as Lysithea. It's been a year since she saw the Valm mage. For now, she needs to tend to her people.

"Lady Maribelle!" A guard coming in a full panic as he stopped and panted.

"What's wrong?! Speak!" She commands.

"It's your brother, Lord Seigel! He's been taken!"

All color left Maribelle's face as she felt her energy sapped in an instant. Was on the verge of collapsing if not for a pair of arms that has quickly caught her. She saw it was the blue haired woman along with Lysithea, who had caught her. Sophia, despite still shaky from the spell she had cast, turned to the knight and spoke.

"All those injured, get them all mobilized to the town square." She began and the clerics and troubadours became still as they listened, "All mages, clerics, troubadours are to start setting up tables and tents there. Get medical supplies immediately ready. As well as food and water. There are many injured." She ordered.

"Do what she says." Maribelle says and the place turns into buzz.

**[ ----- ]**

It felt like she had been sent overseas again. The town felt like a war zone as she swiftly maneuvered her scalpel and then the needle to close the wound of a knight who got an axe to his thigh. This was a patient number....she lost count already but the fact she was performing surgeries to save lives brought back a sense of familiarity to her. Like if she was in her old clinic again. While Maribelle was speaking to her father, Sophia had made herself in charge of the medical area of the town that was swiftly set up. Her role of leader quickly took over as she began instructions to nurses, clerics, troubadours, and mages at what they needed to do. Those that had serious injuries that needed surgery were taken to a specific tent. The use of magic allowed her to do things that were not possible in her old world. Wind magic was used by a cleric to help provide oxygen to a patient she was currently operating on their lung to repair it again. Water magic was used to swiftly clean her tools to be able to move onto the next patient. Light Magic was used to ease the pain on a patient after the surgery was over. It was also used to keep the patient stable. Sophia's white coat she was wearing was a bloody mess and quickly changed to another one as another patient was brought in.

Unfortunately, the woman that was brought in was dead but the child in her stomach had miraculously survived. Once more, she has started the procedure of a c-section. Everyone in the tent was completely amazed at such skills they have never seen before used. The c-section took around 30 minutes. Waves of relief and cheers filled the tent when the cries of a newborn child were heard. The dead woman was her last patient and Sophia covered her face in respect. She handed the little boy to a wet nurse, who cleaned the child. Healing magic was used on the child to make sure they had no injuries. Sophia collapsed on a chair, finally drained. It had been years since she has worked this much in one day. She heard footsteps approaching and from her vision, saw someone had collapsed on their knees, and bowed to her.

"Thank you!" It was an older man, "Thank you for saving my son! I thought I lost both! Thank you..." he wept and many in the tent smiled sadly.

Sophia looked up, despite being tired, she moved her hand a bit.

"You're welcome." Was all she answered and was desperately trying not to close her eyes, but everything was just crashing on her today.

Panic tones and yells filled the tent when she fell sideways and was out cold. She was just so tired.

**[----]**

Sophia didn't know how many hours passed just that she knew she had passed out. When she began to stir, she felt she was on a bed. Carefully sitting up because her head was pounding, she saw she was in one of the medical tents. Her clothing was changed to her regular one.

"Thanks...Lysithea..." Sophia muttered as she moved her leg over the bed to stand up.

Based on how dark it was, it was already late at night. She could hear talking outside the tent as she rubbed her eyes a bit and started toward the tent flap. Opening it, she spotted Maribelle talking seriously to Lysithea, who looked just as tried but also annoyed. The soldiers all looked nervous, but Sophia noticed a group of three pegasus. There were two pegasus knights standing next to them and Sophia looked back to the two females bickering. But there was a much taller female there. She had light aqua colored hair tied back in a braided bun, her bangs stopped halfway of her forehead. Her armor was a light-colored blue of a pegasus knight. Lysithea and Maribelle became quiet once they noticed Sophia had arrived and the aqua haired woman turned her way. Her brown eyes and stern face looked to her, while Sophia gave a weak "hi" wave.

"I...am sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Sophia asked and the woman shook her head as she walked over to her.

"No. It is alright. I have just finished listening to the reports of the girls. Doctor Zunino, correct?" The woman said and Sophia nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Phila. I am the Squadron Leader of the Ylisse Pegasus Knights." Phila introduced herself.

"Oh no..." Sophia thought as the woman continued to speak.

"I spoke with all our soldiers stationed here as well from Maribelle and your fellow mercenary, Lysithea. You and Lysithea helped defend this town as well as that you took charge in healing the people. You displayed miraculous skills in the medical field that saved the lives of many." Phila smiled as warmly as Maribelle spoke up.

"Thank you Doctor Zunino. Truly. I wish we could celebrate but..." Maribelle gritted her teeth.

"What did I miss?" Sophia asked and Phila let go of a sigh but spoke.

"While we confirmed that the bandit raid was intentional to capture Mirabelle, you and Miss Lysithea ruined their plans. However,...." Phila looked back to her and then to Maribelle, "A Dark Flier managed to sneak into the Themis manor and took Lord Seigel hostage. He is Lady Maribelle's younger brother. He's only 17..."

"Oh no...." Sophia muttered as she looked over to Maribelle.

"For now..." Phila spoke again, "I must report this to Exalt Emmeryn to figure out our next course of action...." she gritted her teeth.

"One moment." Sophia spoke and Phila cocked an eyebrow

She was debating if she should keep her mouth shut but things are now....maybe...

"The border." She says and Phila turns to her, eyes sharp, "They will most likely take Lord Seigel to the border that is in a rocky area. I read it is an isolated area because of the terrain. There are mountains where archers can hide as well as poisonous creatures. It's also..." she was going to lie on this part, "where The Mad King has those that defy him _executed_."

Maribelle let out a painful sob as Phila became tense as did many.

"I must report this." Phila let out a shaky sigh and nodded, "Thank you for telling me this. You have my gratitude. For now, I must leave."

"Wait." Sophia says and Phila gave her a curious look, "I need you to deliver a message for me. It is for the tactician, Robin."

Phila stared at her for a moment but nodded. Sophia thanked one of the knights for having a quill and paper with them. She quickly began to write her message to Robin as well as drawing a layout of the map of the border. That way Robin can plan exactly what needs to be done. A bit more she wrote, and she was done. Dealing it with a wax seal with a moon symbol, she handed the letter to Phila. The pegasus knight thanked her and Lysithea once more for helping the town and took off with her squad. As Sophia watched them leave, she could not help but feel something was going to happen and it wasn't a good feeling.

**\- The Next Day -**

"There you are!"

Sophia and Lysithea were both eating breakfast at one of the tables in the tents when Maribelle had suddenly come in. Lysithea with stuffed cheeks turned to her while Sophia's cup of tea was halfway to her mouth. Last night, one of the female clerics had taken them to one of the inns that was not damaged. The owner of the inn let them use the showers to bathe and clean themselves, which they gladly did. However, Sophia had bought a different colored hair dye and removed her blue hair color. Lysithea asked her why and Sophia stated because there was a chance Aversa could recognize her hair color and she did not want that. So now, Sophia's hair was now a cherry blossom pink, like Hilda’s, and was tied up to a bun.

"I have been looking for you since we have not had a proper chance to speak to one another. May I join you?" Maribelle said and Sophia nodded.

Maribelle sat down between them since they were sitting at a round table. The table had egg and bacon sandwiches. A small tray with cookies and scones. Cute tea pot with flower designs and there was an extra teacup. Sophia served Maribelle a cup and handed it to her. It was an apple blend tea.

"Once more, to both of you, I am grateful for what you did for me and my people. Even if you are not part of this town, you still help save as many lives as you could." Maribelle smiled and took a sip of her tea, "I am Maribelle of House Themis. You have my gratitude for saving me but also, you and Lysithea shall be rewarded for your bravery." She placed the cup down.

"No need for a reward." Sophia says, "I'm Sophia Zunino. I'm a doctor and traveling mercenary. I only did my job." She replies.

"That may be so, but I still wish to reward you." Maribelle gave her a slight frown, "You worked tirelessly yesterday and displayed an incredible amount of skills that have never before been seen here in Ylisse or any of the other nations." She motions her hand towards her.

"But also...you displayed leadership. While Prince Chrom would usually be the one to do this, but...." Maribelle stood up proudly as she placed her hand over her chest in a prideful matter, "I! Maribelle von Themis, hereby invite you and Lysithea to join the Shepherds of Ylisse!"

There was pure silence and Sophia swore she could hear a crow cawing in the distance.

"I'm sorry but I cannot accept." Sophia said coldly, which threw off both women, "I'm a doctor and a foreigner. I travel the lands to help people regardless of who they are. I don't care if they are from, Valm, Plegai, Ylisse or Ferox. If I join the Shepherds, I will only be held back. I thank you for the offer, but we're done." She stood up and walked towards the tent flap.

"Lysithea." She stopped and glanced a bit at her, "You're welcome to join them if you want. It is your choice. I have no power over it." And she walked out.

Sophia's heart was conflicted as she left both women stun. There was a part of her that really wished to take the offer, but the other part knew if she joined them, she would be screwed over. She was screwed over anyway because of the upcoming war. Now with also messing up a big event that changed a course of time made her even more worried. Maribelle should have been the one that was taken hostage. The game never said that she had siblings, so now learning she had a younger brother made her chest hurt with guilt. The least she could do to ease that guilt was with the letter she had requested Phila to deliver to Robin.

"I want to leave." Sophia gritted her teeth.

She wants to leave the town, like now. But her consciousness would never let her live it down if she chose to leave now. Considering she has a few patients that are in critical condition and there were many more she still needs to check on. With where they are, it should take at least 2 weeks to return to Farzad Village. She misses Dana, Henry, Mustafa and Ahura. They had become such a huge part of her life when she first came that to her, they were family. Then there was another situation.

She took out the small marble size stone that was left in her hand after she turned the Grimleal mage to stone, then dust. Then she stares at it, holding it over the sun to get a better look at it. The stone reminded her of the gray stones from FEH( _Fire Emblem Heroes_ ), as if a soul was inside of it. She doubts that's what it is. Still, something about the stone felt off. It wasn't a good nor bad feeling. More towards...something neutral. She put it away and made her way to the medical tent where the patients she operated on were. Unfortunately, she and Lysithea must stay at least for another 3 days just to make sure everyone is alright. Maribelle will be leaving tomorrow to the capital to join Chrom and the others to save her brother.

Entering the tent, the nurses, clerics, and mages all turned to look at her as she walked towards a young man who looked around 15 years of age. She hates seeing kids be in fights like this but unfortunately things are like this in these times. Children should not be thrust into war or horrible situations like this.

"How are the patients? Have you all been using Heal on them every two hours?" She says as he handed her scrolls with the list of names and notes.

"We did as you instructed, and all the patients are doing well! They are recovering quickly and those that were in critical condition are now stable!" The boy grins and Sophia smiled a bit.

"Everyone." She yells out a bit and they turned to her, "Good job. You all did well."

Many couldn't stop themselves from smiling and feeling happy at the compliment they all got. Sophia always complemented those that have done well in their jobs when she used to train the new students in the hospitals. As she goes to each patient, those that are awake she asks how they are feeling. Many keep thanking her and there were others calling her a miracle worker. The mages especially keep asking her questions about her skills in the medical field because they have seen anyone work wonders like her. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

"Alright, back away all of you!" Aqua suddenly appeared in a small tornado of water and hissed at them.

Everyone in the tent was taken back by the sudden appearance of a fae and more questions popped up when they witnessed the vodyanoi circle around Sophia. Aqua grinned as she nuzzled Sophia's cheek and rested on her shoulder like a cat. The pink haired woman smiled a bit and nuzzled her back warmly.

"She says for you to calm down a bit." Sophia spoke with a coy smile on her lips.

She gave the final instructions and left the tent to move onto the next one. Today was going to be a long day.

**\- Meanwhile in Ylisstol -**

"I see." Light caramel colored hair curled in two drills that gently fell over her shoulders as her retainer spoke with urgency and worry in her voice.

Blue colored eyes held worry as her younger brother and sister were looking at the white-haired tactician with urgency. Robin has seen many things but this just outrageous. When Phila finished reporting, what had happened to Themis town as well as that King Gangrel declared that he be paid for the insult, the pegasus knight handed her a letter that was addressed to her. Of course, Robin would have preferred to read it in private but with the way things are going, she decided to open it to read itself contents.

"What does it say?" Chrom asked as she looked to him, Lissa, Frederick and lastly, the Exalt Emmeryn.

She wore the green and gold Holy clothing of a sage, and one her forehead was the Brand. Robin spoke as she turned the second page of the letter towards them.

"It's a map." Robin spoke, "The person of this letter did not give me their name, but they drew out a layout of the border where Lord Seigal was taken. With this, I can plan accordingly what needs to be done!" A grin broke on her face.

The map was....well too detailed to have been drawn from a normal person. However, they noticed certain spots that were circled. One spot that was circled was giant rock that was flat. It read:

_This is where the hag and joker will be standing on. Trying to intimidate you._

Chrom and Lissa could help but let out short laughs as they read it. Emmeryn giggled a bit while both Phila and Frederick shook their heads.

"It also says...." Emmeryn narrowed her eyes just a bit to read what else the map says till..

_Grimleal wants the Fire Emblem. Do not give it to them. They want it in exchange for Lord Seigal._

"The Fire Emblem?!" Phila says a bit too shocked, "Your Grace, you cannot go! Even if you offer parley to The Mad King, there will be no good intentions!"

"Or." Frederick spoke, "Whoever sent this letter is only trying to scare is. The fact that they chose to remain anonymous as well as a far too well drawn map brings in cornering issues." He states.

"I understand Frederick. But this information that we have been given may help us. If it is true that King Gangrel will demand the Fire Emblem..." Emmeryn muttered as she placed her hand over her heart, worried.

"We'll trust this anonymous person." Robin declared, "I don't why but....I just know we can trust them."

"Phila." Chrom spoke and turned to the blue haired woman, "Who exactly gave you this letter?"

"My lord. The person that gave me this letter is a mercenary traveling the land. She and her partner helped defend The County of Themis. Not only that, it was reported from Lady Maribelle and those stationed there that they helped heal the people with skills they have never seen before." Phila reported and it seems everyone's attention was caught.

"Skills....unknown..." Frederick muttered, a certain mage coming to his mind.

"Something on your mind Frederick?" Lissa asked as she blinked a bit.

"Yes." He says, "Do you recall the mage from Ferox?" He asked.

"Oh!" Lissa clapped her hands excitedly, "You mean the mage that healed your using needles? Of course, I remember her!" She grins, “Sadly, she never gave us her name. Why?"

"Pardon, needles?" Emmeryn blinked multiple times hearing that.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Your Grace." Frederick said a bit too quickly while Lissa snickered, "As I was saying, the person Phila described is like the mage that helped us during our time in Ferox. I believe that the description also fits of the rumors that have been circling around as of lately." He explained.

"The rumors of a Saint." Robin muttered and Frederick gave her a nod of agreement.

_"You are saying that this mage, saint and unknown person, may be the same individual?"_

**Chapter 9: Themis Rescue**


	10. Forced to Ascendance

When Phila and Maribelle had returned to the County of Themis to request for Sophia and Lysithea to come to Ylisston with them, they were too late. The two women had left the town, but not before Sophia gave specific instructions to the mages and nurses on how to take care of the patients. Currently, she rides Ingrid through the sky at a slow pace. But...something weighed on her mind as she looked over to her purple haired companion.

Lysithea looked on ahead as she rode Opal and noticed her friend looking at her.

"Ask. Just ask." Lysithea said as Sophia let go of a sigh.

"Why did you choose to follow me?" Sophia muttered as she leaned a bit forward to pet Ingrid's head.

"The answer is quite simple really." Lysithea smiled, "You're my friend."

Sophia went silent and about to speak to say that should not be a reason to follow her when the girl raised her hand to stop her.

"I know what you are going to say, so let me explain." Lysithea sighed a bit, "The first reason is Virion. I do not want to see him but...I know at some point I will have to confront him. I'm just...it's complicated." She sighs a bit.

Sophia was silent as she listened to the young woman speak. She could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes as well as her body language. Being a doctor, Sophia had to train herself on how to read a person's body language in order to be able to handle them. Of course, she has had her fair share of unfortunate people who wanted to hurt her. But Lysithea's body language was anything but that. She showed nervousness but also truth.

"You welcomed me with open arms even though we got off on the wrong foot. You've shown me kindness and have taught me many things. I guess what trying to say is..." Lysithea turned to her a bit, "you're like family to me. And I want to keep standing beside you. Not just as your teacher but also as a friend and sister." She finished.

Sophia felt as if someone had dunked a bucket of cold water and then one of hot water. Friendship is something she rarely had. The only she had really formed a bond with in her old world was her cousin, Iri. She didn't go out to make friends because she always saw it as hassle. Not to also mention childhood drama kept her from pursuing relationships with others. She has had her share of betrayals and has seen them done to her colleagues. Of course, being the person, she is ( _she'll never admit it_ ), those that betrayed others to cause harm, they were left in a world of pain.

"I...I don't know what to say." Sophia was barely able to say as Lysithea withheld a chuckle.

"Don't worry. Take your time." Lysithea smiled.

**[-]**

Two weeks it took for The Shepherds and the Exalt to reach the border. Two weeks it took for the girls to reach Plegai, it's capital. They will stay there for a few days before they return back to the village but it was obvious something happened. The capital was in a buzz and the people seemed to be more on edge. The majority were the citizens looked fearful, as if praying that calamity did not strike down. Soldiers were stationed in different parts of the city and they saw some of them were brimming with excitement.

"Something happened." Lysithea whispered as they changed into their usual clothing.

"I think I know why everyone is on edge..." Sophia muttered as they walked through the streets and made their way quickly to the magic shop.

**[-]**

Arriving, the inside was the same as usual, except one wall had a new restock of tomes. While the shop was quiet ( _except for the sound of hooting owls_ ), everything looked the same. They made their way to the counter where Sophia spotted the familiar shop owner. The man was reading a book and looked up to see the girls.

"Ah! It's you! Almost didn't recognize you because of the pink hair. Got to admit, doesn't suit you." Giga says and Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose.

"How's the staff working for you?" He asked as he put his book down.

"Love it." Sophia says, "But there is something I need to ask you." She says and he raised an eyebrow.

"The entire capital atmosphere. It's tense. What happened?" She asked and he frowned.

"Ah..." Giga sighs and shakes his head a bit, "A week ago, King Gangrel and the witch of Aversa left for the border with a boy they took hostage from Ylisse. Now...sigh.." he ran his fingers through his hair, "We're just hoping that the stupid king doesn't declare war. Plegai and Ylisse, neither are in any condition for war. Especially us. Famine is spreading and this year, Plegai is being hit by a drought. Too many hungry mouths and the mortality rate is too high."

"Shit..." Sophia gritted her teeth while Lysithea shivered.

"So... you are all waiting for the results..." Lysithea muttered and Giga nodded.

"Three days. We should know." Giga says, "But that's not the only thing that happened."

Sophia narrowed his eyes as she leaned a bit.

" _There is a hunt going on_." He says.

"A what?" Both females say.

"A hunt. A hunt for a _saint._ " Giga muttered, "Grimleal is hunting down a rumored woman. They say that she has worked miracles. That she has healed people with no magic and given medicine to the citizens of Archanea that has worked miracles. King Gangrel has declared to find this Saint and bring her to him." He explained.

The air in the shop that was usually calming had become tense and cold as dread fell on Sophia. It was like someone had dunk her into a pool of ice. The woman was doing an amazing job hiding her fear and insecurity as she shook her head.

"A saint? I thought they went extinct." Sophia let go of a chuckle.

"Well, that may be true. The saint class has only ever existed in Valm. That was during the age of King Alm and Queen Celica. Also known as the Valentian Age. To hear that suddenly such a person who is from a class that is said to now longer exist, is bound to get attention. I feel sorry for the soul. Hopefully, Grimleal doesn't get their hands on them. Those mages are always hungry for the unknown." Giga muttered as he opened his book again.

"The saint class..." Lysithea muttered and shook her head a bit.

"Anyhow, is there anything you ladies want to buy? There's got to be another reason you two are here other than gossip." He says and Sophia nodded.

"Came to buy two owls and two doves." Sophia smiled and he just pointed to the shelf that had cages filled with owls and doves.

"Take your pick. By the way, there are a few cats for sale too." He says and the girls went to the shelf.

There were a different variety of owls. Some that Sophia recognized from her old world but they went by different names in this one. A snowy owl was called a Ferox Winter Owl. It's beautiful white feathers puffed out with pride as it saw them approach. The Long Ear Owl was still called its original name. The cute one chirped happily at Lysithea, who melted at its chirp.

"I'm taking these two." Lysithea picked up their cages carefully and the two owls chirped happily at her.

Sophia chuckled a bit and continued to look. Her eyes landed on an owl that had a calm demeanor but cocked its head curiously at her. Its feathers of light browns and white. This one was called a Tawny owl in her old world but in this one it is called a Ylisse owl.

"Hello." Sophia muttered softly as she carefully waged her index finger a bit. The Ylisse owl cocked its head left and right for a bit till it chirped at her with a playful tone.

"Okay you win. You're my child now." Sophia quickly gave in and the owl screeched excitedly, flapping its wings rapidly, "Calm down!"

She made the cage float next to her as she moved to the next shelf. This owl made her nearly squeal but she held it in. It's fluffy horn-like feathers were the colors of dark brown and white. This owl is usually called a Collared Scops-Owl, but here it is called The Plegai Spy owl. It stared at her but gave a small nod. Meaning it approved of her.

"Thank you." She muttered and made the cage float next to her.

Now for the doves. Lysithea already chose. A Forest Dove ( _Inca Dove_ ) and a Common ground dove. Sophia herself chose a Bland Tail pigeon and Fancy Pigeon.

"That should be it." Lysithea grins as she makes her way to pay for her little ones.

That was until she saw Sophia staring at two cats. A ragamuffin cat with blonde fluffy hair and piercing blue eyes. It had a grumpy face but it was kind and tender to its partner, a ragdoll cat with crimson eyes. The two stared at her as she knelt down, and extended her hand to them. The ragdoll stood up and sniffed her hand. It purred softly and then jumped onto her shoulder, making her yelped. The ragamuffin stared at her, almost as if it was scolding but stood up and jumped up also.

"Okay. Hm..." she looked back and forth between the two, "I'll name you Cordy." The ragdoll nuzzled her cheek, "And you...Alexander. But Alex for short." And the ragamuffin nodded.

The two cats gave nods of approval, liking their names. Somewhere far away, a pair of love birds sneezed.

"Really?" Lysithea shook her head and Sophia just pointed to her feet.

Lysithea quickly looked down and began cooing as a white Maine coon kitten meowing at her.

"Cough!" She coughed when Sophia had a smirk as she picked up the kitten, "I...suppose we can add one more."

"That's what I thought."

[-]

They went to the inn that Sophia first went to and booked a room for the next four days. Their new pets were also with them. The fact that the pigeons, doves, owls and cats weren't at each other's throats was a miracle. Maybe that was because Aqua had become some sort of leader to them. They let them free once they arrived in their room. It was the same one Henry had rented her before. The birds made themselves comfortable on the opposite sides of the beds. Cordy and Alex made themselves at home on the couch while the white kitten played on Lysithea's bed. She named it Snow. As for the owls. Lysithea named Ferox one, Crystal and long ear one, Pyrus. Her pigeons she named Hilda and Marianne ( _Sophia: Excuse me what?!_ ). For Sophia, the Ylisse owl she named Feh and the Plegai one, Claude ( _Don't ask_ ). As for her pigeons, she named them Castor and Pollux. The fact that the Plegai owl was a sneaky little shit made the name more fitting.

"I'm worried." Sophia muttered as she sat on her bed.

Lysithea was in her room, taking a bath while they waited for their food to arrive. It had been awhile since she felt anxious and this just made it worse. She already knew that war was coming but there was still a part of her that it was not declared. Three days. In three days, they will know. She recalls Henry explained to her that when war or a state of emergency is declared in the nation, a bell will be rung. She just hopes it isn't rung because she's tried. The thought of war made her want to vomit. She only knows the horrors of war because of movies, books, and video games. But to actually experience it was something everyone, no matter what world, did not want to experience. But there are always those who hunger for battle because of the profits. Plegai could afford a war because its mountains were full of gold and silver. But a war cannot be won without the people. And that was the thing. Ylisse and Plegai are still recovering from the war of 15 years ago. She knows that there are those in Plegai that wish to take revenge on Ylisse for leaving its land and people in hunger. But it was the same case with Ylisse.

Things only became better after Emmeryn took over as the next Exalt.

"Emmeryn..." Sophia thought as she flopped down onto her bed.

The gentle exalt came into her mind as she placed her hands behind her back. She remembers back when she first played Awakening, Emmeryn was one of the characters that she liked. She was kind, gentle, and loved peace. While Sophia understood the woman wanted to end war in peace, she also saw the Exalt as a peace-loving fool. Realistically, not everything could be achieved with peace. While Emmeryn strived for peace, there would always be those to ruin it. There were those, like those Sophia knew, that saw the exalt as a foolish peace-loving fool that needed a reality check. Those that made fun of her sacrifice when it was shown in the game. Then there were those that saw her as a Saint and that her ideals of peace were something to strive for.

For Sophia, she was in the rare group of neutrality. While Sophia understood that Emmeryn ideals can bring peace and prosperity to the world, it also can backfire. Those that keep insisting peace and are good natured can be taken advantage of. There were two sides of the coins that she looked at. One, peace and prosperity bring happiness and life to the world. But peace and prosperity do not last forever and there will always be conflict. Human nature is something that can be predictable but at the same time isn't. There are those that desire peace, and those that desire war. Peace cannot be achieved without conflict. And conflict cannot be settled down without peace.

While Ylisse prospers under the rule of Emmeryn, Plegai suffers under the rule of Gangrel. The emotions in humans can cause a conflict. It's the same thing that happens when politics get involved. You are walking on eggshells. There are those that give into demands ( _even if they are unfair_ ) to just maintain peace and be over with it. While there are those that refuse those demands because they do not fit one's ideals. War is basically ideals pit against each other. Each side believes they are the only ones right and believe the others are wrong. But that is the thing, all sides are wrong in a way.

"Take a look at what happened to Mila and Duma." Sophia muttered as she rolled over onto her stomach and saw Alex and Cordy sleeping together peacefully.

The pain and suffering that is caused by Emmeryn's sacrifice...only years later, did Chrom understand the true meaning behind it. The world would be better off without Emmeryn but...

"It's not her fault..." Sophia muttered as she rolled to lay on her back.

_Ylisse and Plegai._

_Emmeryn and Chrom._

_The people._

They are all victims in the choices done not only by themselves but also of the past. Sophia sat up and shook her head, pulling her hair.

"Should Emmeryn really die...?" She muttered to herself as she sat up and grabbed her clean set of clothing.

Heading to the bathroom, she filled up her tub, stripped naked and sunk herself into the warm water, letting it hug her like a blanket. Closing her eyes, she splayed her arms freely as she laid back a bit, staring up to the ceiling. More thoughts were now coming to her mind. The fact that " _The Saint_ '' was being hunted down. Boy, was Sophia glad she changed her hair color. The only reasons she would be recognized was because her hair color was unusual. The other people that had hair color as her before she dyed it pink were Chrom and Lucina. But she doubts people would be able to track her down because when she was treating her patients in Plegai, she would be wearing a mask. Usually. Unless someone remembers her unique eye colors to identify her, then that's a problem.

"The fact that people are calling me a saint is fucken ridiculous." She gritted her teeth a bit.

She was no saint. She was no Titania. She was no Chrom. She was no Robin. She was no miracle worker. In her eyes, the skills and everything she has learned is because of years of hard work. The fact that people are calling her skills a gift from the divine pissed her off greatly. Sophia sees herself more as nothing but another human being who just wants to live her life doing what she loves, her job.

She picked up her sake cup that she had set up on the side and took a sip. The sake she brought back from Ferox. It was import from Chon'sin and it was rare. The reason that it is difficult to get alcohol from Valm is because of the war going on there. Well...at least she isn't alone in being "declared" a saint by the people of Archanea. Apparently, a year ago, a so call saint also appeared in Valm. The gender of that person was never found out but that they have saved lives from near death and displayed skills of " _the divine."_

"I feel sorry for that poor soul...But I'm in the same damn position." She muttered as she took another sip.

The only difference is that this Saint in Valm, no one has been able to track damn down or identify their identity. They disappear and reappear like a ghost, thus also creating an urban legend in that nation. She really hopes that she isn't caught or anything like that. If she is...

"..." she placed her cup down for a moment and stared at the wall.

Thoughts filled her head for a few minutes as she sat in silence.

"I know what to do if it happens." She muttered and picked up her cup once more.

For now, she will rest.

**\- The next day -**

The following day was nothing but once more exploring the town. While Lysithea said she wanted to run some errands, Sophia went to the black market. Usually, Henry would be with her but seeing she hasn't run in, is making her worried. She walked through the black-market place with a new mask. It was a fox mask, designed like the Japanese ones. Making her way to the medical section, the older mage form before was there. She wore her cloak again.

"Can I help you?" He raised an eyebrow and she placed three vials on the counter.

"New medicine made. You know what I want." She smiled coyly and the man nearly choked on his spit once he realized who she was.

"Raven..." he squeaked and she nodded.

"First vial is birth control. It does the same as the herbs except this one also helps heal the body. The second one is for the bloodstream. Lastly, the last bottle is an aphrodisiac. This is one for females." She finished explaining and like usual, the man quickly checked the ingredients.

High quality once more and she would be contacted once they are sold. However...

"Have your man meet me here." She gave him the instructions to have her be met near the shop where she first got the fae.

The mage nodded and she left. Walking through the pathway that once made her shiver, she stopped when a fortryde clings onto her cloak. Her eyes void as it made a moaning dreadful sound, and it screeched painfully when she stomped on it, killing it. She continued walking on ahead. She should send a message to Henry.

**[-]**

The inside of Plegai Castle has become colder and more tense as civilians and nobles alike were waiting for the news. Henry along with Tharja gritted their teeth as they were stuck along with several others, translating the now old scrolls of Grimleal that were excavated in Ferox. There were old stories about the founder of Grimleal, Forneus and how Grima came to be. It made Tharja's bones chill when she read the old scroll that Grima commanded the Risen using some part of a mask that had been modeled after the face of a dead woman. Henry groans as he places his quill down, shaking his head.

"This is so boring!" He whines and his fellow mages just roll their eyes as they continue to work.

"Shut up, will you! I'm about this close to putting a hex on you!" Tharja growled as she nearly slammed her hands on the table.

"Ooohh~ What kind?" He grins but his attention was suddenly caught when a black butterfly came into his vision.

Even Tharja stares as Henry puts his finger out and lands on it.

"How interesting..." The woman suddenly purred, "I have never seen such a form of magic ( _mages in the room suddenly have their interest peaked_ ). It seems to be a message." She says as it flapped its wings a bit.

The black butterfly glowed a bit and then turned into a letter in Henry's hands. He did not recognize the moon wax seal on it but opened it regardless.

_Hey Henry! It's me! Lysithea and I are back here in Plegai. Hope things went smoothly for you. How are Mustafa, Ahura, Dana and you? I'm heading back to the village in four days. I heard the news about Plegai and Ylisse. I really hope war doesn't break out. By the way, if you need to find me, I'm in the inn where you first took me. Same room. Also, I have new pets, so be nice to them. I learned a lot of new things while traveling. But I need your help with something. There's this specific tome that got my hands on and I need to confirm something. Anyhow, hope we get to talk when you have free time._

_\- From the Crazy Doctor: Sophia_

_Ps: While I was out shopping, I tripped in a store, a woman saw it and wouldn't stop staring. So, I smiled and said "Sorry. It has been awhile since I possessed a body." Her face, horrified._

Henry burst out howling as he finished the letter and closed it, putting it away on his cloak. Many just looked at him funny and muttered with one another.

"He has friends?" One mage whispered but then he and his partner flinched at the terrifying smile he gave them.

Of course, he has friends. Guess he counts Tharja as one. Sophia for sure. Lysithea was in between. He sat back down and summoned his crow familiars.

"You know where to go!" He grins as he hands it a letter and the crow take off, flying out the window.

Tharja observed him for a minute then spoke.

"Strange..." she muttered as she went back to her work.

Her hex allows her to make sure that when she is speaking to someone, they are telling the truth. One of those being she can sense human emotion. Yet, Henry's heart was devoid of it. Sophia, the woman she met months ago, her heart surpassed its emotions to a bottomless pit. But when they do come out, it is carefully.

"Since we're now on break..." Henry smiled to her, "Want to come with me to visit?!"

"No."

"Well too bad! Nyhahaha!"

**[-]**

"Hmmm~ Hmmm~ " Sophia hummed a tune as she dug through her bag and then panic began to rise into her chest.

"Where is it?!" She screeched so loudly that the poor birds gave her glares of disapproval.

Her pocket watch was missing. She was desperately trying not to fall into a panic attack as she dumped everything that was in her bag onto the bed. Her tomes, journal, pencils, quills, paper, candies. A small bottle of whisky. Gum, her old phone ( _it's dead_ ). Her solar powered camera ( _she's been taking pictures_ ) and many other things. But her pocket watch, gone.

"Where is it?!" She growled as her hair was puffing up like a cat.

It was a gift from her grandmother, it had been passed down to her by her great grandmother. So basically, a family heirloom. It was given to her before her grandmother passed away and it has been a treasure, she has taken care of. So thr fact that it's missing is going to send her spiraling. She went into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, placed a sound barrier to spare everyone, then...

"Hahahah...hahah... _ahah...aaahhh...ahhh_... **AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** "

She punched the wall, hard enough to make the chandelier in their room shake. Lysithea was in the other room with her pets, thinking an earthquake had suddenly hit.

"Uuughhhh...hic...aaahhh..." Sophia was sobbing as her hair became puffy like a cat.

It was something that always happened whenever she became extremely upset. She suddenly shut her mouth when she heard the window to her room slowly open. Well, she still had the taser she always carries. Carefully, she cracked the door open and looked out the crack. Black and purple...white.

"God dammit Henry!" Sophia slammed her door and the mage screeched then turned her way, "Learn to knock!"

"Hey there So-You dyed your hair?" Henry eyes snapped open seeing her pink colored hair but also...there was a significant amount of growth in her magic.

Her once weak spirit had grown to become something that not even Henry knew what to feel of. Her eyes looked like they held more life but also a bit colder. Yet despite that, her magic was still warm and kind.

"I'm not risking Aversa recognizing me." Sophia sighs and he noticed her hair was puffy but also her eyes.

"You were crying." He muttered and she used her sleeves to dry her eyes.

"I'm going to cry when I want." She huffed as she quickly ran her fingers through her hair to comb it down, "Anyhow, I'm glad to see you." She smiled softly as she went to her bed and put everything back to her bag.

"Same! Glad to see you made it back to Plegai. So um...you heard what's going on." He says and she nodded.

"Yeah..." she muttered, "I'm just...waiting for the news..."

"Don't worry. I'm su-

**GONG! GONG!**

The two and Lysithea ran out to their balconies. The giant horn that Emmeryn will be standing on in the future, there, a Berserker banged the wooden hammer on a gong two more times. The people in the city began screaming, others cheers of joy. The atmosphere became what no one wanted. Dread and terror fell before all of Plegia as the four rings of the gong vibrated through the air.

**War.**

"War has been declared by King Gangrel!" The Berserker shouted with glee as many gathered to voice their grief and anger.

Sophia gritted her teeth as she quickly stormed back to her room as did Lysithea. Her door burst open and Lysithea was shaking as Sophia quickly walked to her.

"War...War...war was declared..." the girl shook as Sophia made her sit down.

"I know..." Sophia sighs, "Stay here. And rest. I need to pick something up quickly. Henry, you stay."

"Wait, where are you going?" Henry suddenly said seriously as she quickly put on her cloak and fox mask.

"Where I first sold medicine." She says and Henry quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Don't you dare go there! Especially right now!" He growled and she was taken back by his sudden attitude, "Gangrel is hunting you down and he has spies looking for you. I don't know why but Validar and the higher up mages of Grimleal want you. I'll go." He quickly went into her bag and got her mercenary card.

"Henry..." She muttered and he shook his head, "When I come back, we're heading straight to the village. Just stay here for now." He says with a sad smile.

"How...bad...have things gotten?" She asked and he only shook his head.

"I'm sorry but the only thing I can say is that it's bad." He said and walked back to the balcony, "I'll be back in an hour. Until then, stay here."

**\- Plegai Castle -**

"So, war has been declared...ugh. Finally, a chance to move up the ranks."

The soldiers were on break after hours of training. Arca grumbled as she sharpened her axe and looked down to the field where General Heriot was training his soldiers. He and General Mustafa were one the very few generals that showed mercy as well that they cared for their soldiers. For Arca, she respected them but hated how they showed mercy, even to enemies. They were two of King Gangrel's top and closest generals yet they showed mercy?! It made Arca scoff. Especially after her humiliation a few months ago. Gods, she wants to get back that bitch if Sophia. She was a fighter in Mustafa's team. The fact she got taken down so easily hurt her pride.

"The hell?" She turned to her companion, who was a soldier from General Heriot's army, "I was hoping war wouldn't happen. The one from 15 years ago took too many lives. "

"Well, Derick, I say we take the opportunity of the war to strike down the Ylisseans and strike us some gold. We'll be seen as war heroes and finally leave the damn sand heap." She chuckled and Derick gave her a scowl.

"You're on your own on that." He muttered and she snapped her head to him.

"Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You recall that beat down you got a few months ago?" He says and instantly Arca's mood became sour, "You've gotten really cocky. Arrogant. And need a reality check. I think you need another one."

"You...son of bitch..." she snarled at him and she only stood up, walking away with a wave.

"I only spoke the truth. You see war as an opportunity to earn money. Me...I see war as a death trap." He says and leaves.

Arca fumed furiously as she stormed off to go to the Plegai castle. There are a few mages she hangs out with. Right when she was going to wave at one of her comrades, the Grimleal magic circle appeared at the center of the room. Everyone quickly got into formation and held their heads down as the figures of three people appeared inside of it.

"Hahahahaha! Finally! We have our war! The foolish Prince raised his blade! Ha!" King Gangrel walked out of the magic circle, cackling with joy as Lord Validar and Aversa walked behind him.

"Our assassins will head out in three days to take care of the Exalt. Our gift to them." Aversa smiled as she walked.

"However, we have yet to locate the so-called Saint. Tch...if that Saint is who I think it is..our efforts from a year ago weren't wasted." Validar growled.

"Tch. We already have to deal with Valm." Gangrel sneered, "It seems they now have a Saint. The fact that two Saints have appeared in two different nations is disgusting. Assume they are from the lost bloodlines you were seeking." He says as they walk.

"Ah. The ritual." Aversa frowned, "We needed an apostate. Someone who possesses blood of those of legends. If two different lost bloodlines were found, all the better." She smiled, "However, Valm seems to have their hands on one. The other..." she continued to talk as they walked.

"My King and Lords!"

They suddenly stopped when a female soldier walked up to them with no fear in her eyes.

"Ah. You. The little girl from Mustafa's army. What is it?" Validar spoke as he looked down at her and she bowed.

"Sir! Arca, Wyvern Rider number 52!" Arca saluted and bowed to the three.

"Speak girl! I don't have time!" Gangrel looked at her coldly and she nodded.

"I have news about the Saint." Arca says and internally she was smirking.

"Oh?" Aversa raised an eyebrow at her, "Well, darling. What do you have to say?"

"About 5 months ago, a foreigner suddenly came to Plegai. I and many witnessed her heal others with no magic as well as settle down. Their name is Sophia and they currently live in the forest near Farzad village, along with a mage from Valm." Arca explains as Validar walked up to her.

"Well...this is wonderful news indeed." He grins as he looked down at her, "You've done well in giving us this information. Anything else?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, she wields unknown magic and also advanced skills in the art of swords. She will fight anyone that even dares come near her or try to harm citizens." Arca kept her composure as she was internally cackling.

"I see...Good job." King Gangrel smirked, "You shall be rewarded handsomely as well as your position up. You have quite the look of a fighter. Wasted potential that you are only a wyvern rider." He hummed.

"It's an honor my king."

**[-]**

"We should start heading to the village. We should arrive by tonight." Sophia says as Henry returns but...

"What on earth?!" Lysithea screeched as all the animals in the room began hissing when Henry entered the room covered in a bit of blood.

He smiled as he handed Sophia her mercenary card while she just looked at him horrified.

"What happened?" She barely choked out as Lysithea threw her a towel to clean his cheek.

He had a cut that went diagonal. Thankfully no stitches were needed. Placed her hand on it and her palm began to glow a faint green. Henry froze. She could use magic without a tome. The cut healed itself perfectly, as if it was never there.

"There. That should do it." She smiled a bit softly.

"You need to leave."

"Eh?" The two females looked at him shocked. He shook his head as he opened his eyes and looked at them seriously.

"The reason I was covered in blood is because I killed Aversa's spies. They have also been looking for Raven. And they, the mage in the medical area of the black market spit out that I know you. Please...both you need to leave. Heck, leave Plegai all together!" He says and Sophia frowned.

"If..." she muttered, "If I leave..." she gritted her teeth as Mustafa, Ahura and Dana came into her mind, "I can't abandon them...not after you and everyone did so much for me..." she says and turned back to him.

"I'll make you a deal. Lysithea and I pack out things and head to Ylisse. You protect Mustafa, Dana, and Ahura." She looked at him seriously.

"Sophia, I would do that even if you didn't ask me. Especially for them and the people of Farzah village." He smiled genuinely, which was rare.

"Let's get out of here."

**[-]**

When the afternoon hit, the girl quickly got their pets into a safe space using some sort of space magic that Lysithea knew of. She would use it to stare her things. She also taught the spell to Sophia, which she quickly learned. It was already the middle of the night when they arrived back at the village. They landed near the forest. Henry rode with Sophia on Ingrid. The Pegasus doesn't like him. They mounted off and Sophia was greeted by the trio of ariels.

"Welcome home!" Windy, Aerial and Sidi, who they nuzzled on her quickly.

Aqua greeted them and they were happy. Sophia smiled softly as the group walked down to the village gates but...

"Wait." Lysithea muttered and they stopped.

The air around the town did not feel welcoming but tense. Sophia had instantly taken out the dagger Zoltan made for her. She decided to call it _Hel's Wrath_. She held it like an Assassin as her and Henry also got ready along with Lysithea, to fight if there were assassins nearby.

They took another step and low and behold, three Assassins jumped from the shadows, lunging at them. Henry was quick to use Death Z immediately on the one that lunged at him while Lysithea used Dark Spike T on the other. For Sophia, a splatter of blood fell on her face as she sliced their chest then grabbed their head, twisting it with her hands. The sick sound of bones cracking made her want to puke but she held it in. Dropping the bodies to the ground, she used the back of her hand to wipe some of the blood off but she had other concerns.

"We need to check the v-"

_**Clap. Clap. Clap.** _

Slow, powerful claps filled the air as Sophia and Lysithea felt like death had just come before them. Mages began to crawl out the shadows and surround them along with the village.

"Marvelous." This dark and cruel voice she recognized as she slowly turned to look at its owner, "A powerful one indeed. So, the information was correct."

The mages moved to the side as Validar walked forward, stopping about 10 feet away from them. Aversa followed behind him with her coy smile.

"To think you were here all along." Validar smiled as he slightly bowed to her, "Welcome Saint of Archanea, or to be more precise, _Hierophant of Lord Grima_." He grinned wickedly.

"What?" Sophia's blood ran cold as a bead of sweat ran down her face.

"Oh, don't be so surprised." Aversa smiled, "For you come from a bloodline that is believed to have been lost. Unfortunately, we do not know which lost bloodline you come from. Still...the fact it took an entire year for you to be brought here..." she muttered in a bitter tone.

"I don't understand!" Sophia yelled, "What do you want from me?!"

"Simple." Validar answered, "You will join Grimleal and become the new Hierophant of Lord Grima."

"What kind of sick twisted joke is this?!" Sophia roared, "I will never join you! Especially anything to do with Grima!"

"Hmph. Unfortunately, your memories weren't erased, summoned one. Well," he took out his tome, its pages flip, "if you won't join us, perhaps _this_ will convince you. The Valm mage also." Lysithea flinched.

The pages glowed as a magic circle appeared then...

"Big sis..."

"YOU!" The trio roared furiously when they saw Ahura inside the magic circle, holding her son tightly to her arms.

Dana was crying as the older woman shook in fear as she looked up.

"LET THEM GO! LET THEM GO!" Sophia roared and had to be held physically back by both Henry and Lysithea.

"Hahahaha! Awww~ look at you. So desperate to save them. But...they aren't the only ones." Aversa smiled cruelly as multiple magic circles appeared behind her.

They were the people of the village. The villagers.

Sophia could only feel anger and rage fill her as her blood boiled. She wanted to slather Validar but knew they would be killed. She gritted her teeth as she was now put into a corner.

"Sophia..." Lysithea muttered and the woman glanced and then to the people.

"..." she was silent as she looked at Dana and Ahura, who have done so much for her.

The people of the village gave her a place to live. She raised her dagger, people thinking she was about to fight back but...many gasps in horror as she held her dagger one her own neck. The edge of it cutting her skin so slightly, a drop of blood fell.

"I offer you this!" Sophia yelled calmly, "You will not lay a single hand on ANY of these people. In exchange, I join Grimleal...like you want me to. If you don't accept these terms..." she made the cut a bit bigger, "Say goodbye to your so-called Divine priest." She snarled.

Validar burst out laughing at her boldness as his hand hovered over his tome.

"Don't do it big sis!"

"Just run!"

"Please!"

The villagers started yelling for her to forget them and run but she shook her head. She would never be able to forgive herself if harm befell any of them. Gods..she hates the hostage tactic so bad but this...

"Very well then." Validar smiled, "No harm shall befall these people or any of the civilians. Valm mage, you shall join as well."

"Fine." Lysithea grumbled as Sophia put her dagger away and about to walk forward when the pink haired woman turned to her.

"Lysithea, do you remember when I asked you if all your belongings are still packed into that space rift spell you told me about?" Sophia muttered while her friend looked at her confused but nodded

"Good." Sophia smiled and hugged her friend tightly.

"It's going to be okay." Lysithea muttered and Sophia's smile only became sadder.

_**"I know."** _

It felt like time slowed down for Lysithea when she suddenly felt herself pushed forcibly away. Her eyes slowly went wide as Sophia smiled at her, and only red her lips as she raised her hand towards her. Dread befell her once she realized the magic was about to be used.

"No." Lysithea realized what was about to happen as she felt the Oh so familiar distortion in space.

The Grimleal mages ran towards her but too late. Lysithea extended her hand as grief and sorrow took over her features. Sophia's smile was filled with kindness but also...sorrow.

**"SOOOOPPPHIIIIIIAAAA!"**

A giant gray magic circle appeared under the Valm mage and the two pegasus, disappearing into it as the light closed. Henry and many could only look in shock at what was done as Sophia put her hand down, looking up to the sky. Her bangs covered her eyes. Henry knew she was holding back tears as she turned back to Validar.

"Hahahahaha! Extreme Warp! How you know such a spell I don't know. But...what did you do to the Valm mage...?" He sneers as she just walks towards him.

"I sent her someplace where you can never get your hands on her."

**\- Ylisston -**

Chrom, Robin, Emmeryn, Lissa, Fredrick and all the Shepherds, ran to the throne room of the Ylisse Castle. Many gasped in shock as the air whirled like a tornado. A gray colored magic circle appeared in the center of the room, the winds becoming stronger.

"I have never seen such magic circle before!" Miriel yelled as she held her hat to keep it from flying away.

They saw figures forming inside of it. Robin narrowed her eyes to try and see inside of it but then the next thing that happened, was a scream full of despair was heard.

"SOOPHIA!"

The magic circle shattered to dust, revealing now in the room, two pegasus and a young woman with dark purple hair dressed in purple.

"Lysithea...?" Felix and Lon'qu could barely choke out as Lysithea's hands were reaching out to them.

The girl frantically began looking around, the place completely unknown to her. Yet, the familiar faces of Felix, Viron and Lon'qu, made her start wailing loudly as she fell to her knees. Tears kept falling as she realized what had just happened. She gritted her teeth as she slammed her fist multiple times to the ground, screaming and wailing for her friend.

"TAKE ME BACK! TAKE ME BACK! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! SOPHIA!" Lysithea wailed loudly as she tried to activate her magic but not even that was working.

"WHY WON'T MY MAGIC ACTIVATE!? TAKE ME BACK TO PLEGAI YOU IDIOT!" She screamed as she kept slamming her hands onto the floor.

"Lysithea! Enough!" Felix quickly ran to her and held her from behind.

Sumia quickly ran to calm down the pegasus because they were becoming scared.

"Let me go! Let me go, Felix!" Lysithea roared as her tears kept falling onto the floor, "Take...me...back...Ulp...Sniff..." she sobbed and closed her eyes.

She looked like a broken child. They quickly went up to her, making sure she was alright. A small wisp of blue suddenly appeared in front of Robin, catching the tactician off guard. But what landed in her hands was a letter, the same one with the blue seal. The woman quickly opened it and began to read it out.

_Sheppard of Ylisse, I am sorry for the sudden appearance of my friend in your home. Please, watch over her and make sure she is safe. Lysithea, I am sorry I did not give you a choice. But I know you will be in safe hands in Ylisse. You've suffered enough. I know you will try to return back to me but I can't let you do that. I will let the Grimleal have me. But I won't let them have you. Thank you, my friend. Please watch over Ingrid and our pets. This is goodbye. Take care._

**\- Sophia.**

Robin slowly put the letter down as she looked around to everyone in shock as Lysithea was crying. Felix gritted his teeth as the girl in arms passed out, sending many into a panic. Chrom walked up to his friend, a look of sorrow in his eyes as Robin, looked at him sadly.

"This...Sophia...she sacrificed herself to make sure her friend would be safe..." he let go of a shaky sigh and looked back to her, "Robin..."

"I know..." Robin muttered as Emmeryn ordered Lysithea to be taken to a room to rest and have Miriel and Lissa check her.

Felix carried her as tears kept falling from her eyes. He hated seeing her like this. But...Sophia came up to his mind. The fool. She gave up her freedom to save another.

"You idiot."

**[-]**

With the magic spell used, Sophia packed all her belongings and walked out of the cottage, the fear hid themselves in her bag because they refused to leave her alone. She took one last look at the cottage before she left it. A few minutes passed and she arrived back to where the others were. Her face void and called as Aversa smiled and Validar looked at her with an unreadable expression. Henry could only watch in silent as he joined the other mages. Ahura, Dana, and the villagers could only watch as the woman looked at them one last time and sighed, as she turned her back to join the Grimleal mages.

"Sophia, wait!" Dana yelled and the woman stopped, "Please don't go! Please!" The boy pleaded.

The woman was silent as she took a deep breath and gave a look to Aversa.

"5 minutes." Aversa said and Sophia walked back to the family.

"Ahura...Dana...everyone..." She muttered and the two suddenly hugged her tightly.

Sophia's eyes went wide as she was desperately trying not to break down. She closed her eyes as she hugged them tightly and spoke to Windy and Sidi telepathically.

"Windy and Sidi. Both you stay here. That's an order." She thought and the two fae appeared, one each on Dana's shoulders.

They looked at her with mournful eyes but understood. Sophia let go of them as she patted Dana's head and gave a small nod to Ahura. She turned away from them and walked towards the mages, Aversa holding out her hand with a smile.

"Welcome, _Hierophant of Grima_." She smiled sweetly as Sophia just looked at her and walked past her, to enter the Grimleal magic circle.

True to their words, Grimleal left the village alone. Now, the gears of sadness's and regret, filled Sophia's heart.

**Chapter 10: Forced to Ascendance**


	11. Not So Alone

It was late at night already. The sky would usually feel natural but today, in Sophia's eyes, they just felt empty and void. That is how she is currently feeling. The arrival to the Plegia Castle was quick as they were transported to a building behind it. It looked like a miniature version of the castle. It was straight up the size of house of 5 rooms. Aversa smiled coyly as Validar turned to her.

"Make sure our Lord's Hierophant is comfortable." He says and turned to walk the other direction but stopped, "Ah. Before I forget," he glanced at Sophia, "You will assign two guards of your choosing and one that one of our Generals will pick. For now, I shall grant you to speak who are the two of Grimleal you chose to be your retainers."

"Henry and Tharja." Sophia did not even look at him as she turned away, and just looked on ahead, void of emotions.

"Very well. I shall see to it." And with that, he left.

Aversa smiled as she had the woman follow and they walked towards the wooden door. Sophia wanted to run but she knew if she did, she would be dead in an instant.

" _Stop. You chose this."_ Sophia thought as she let go of a sigh as they entered the castle.

The first room was like a ball room. The floor was made of a reddish tile with different patterns but the Grimleal symbol was huge on the floor. The windows were like shutters, the curtains made of black silk. There was a stairway that led to the second floor.

"This room is built for you to train." Aversa smiled as she turned to her, "You will be given three days to settle down here."

"Why am I here?" Sophia muttered as Aversa frowned at her.

"Because you chose to." She answered and Sophia gritted her teeth.

"That's not what I meant....You said I come from a lost bloodline...How...am... _I_ here in Archanea?" Sophia growled and suddenly Aversa held her jaw tightly.

The woman's crimson eyes became predatory as she looked down at her.

"You were brought here by Lord Grima's magic, _Summoned one_. Be honored that you have been chosen to stand beside him." Her grin was wicked, but Sophia pushed her off, glaring.

"I'll figure out everything myself here. Get out." Sophia said coldly as Aversa's smile only grew.

"Do not worry Little Bird. All will be revealed in time to you. Now," Aversa turned to walk out, " we shall have our magic lessons soon. I hope you are ready; you're going to need it." She smirked and left.

The door closed with loud " _BANG_ " as Sophia shook with rage. The woman, finally alone, let out a piercing scream that one would describe belonged to a weeping banshee.

Sophia panted heavily as she swiftly turned to the stairs and stormed towards it. Up she went, ignoring everything that was in her sight. Ignoring the decorations and trinkets. The hallways had at least six other doors that led to different rooms. But the one at the end of the purple colored hallway, was obviously made for her. The Symbol of Naga was on it and over it was the symbol of Grimleal. A sign to show that Grima was superior in this land. To the door she stormed and slammed it open. The room was huge. The bed was king side, surrounded by translucent fabrics of colors of purple, blue and red. The bed sheets were made of silk, different color patterns of purple, black and gray. It was the same with the pillows. The tiles were a gray colored marble that were cool to the touch. Shelves of black maple and red wood filled with books, magic supplies. There was a table filled with tools for making magic tools, tomes, and other things. Lastly, there was a closet filled with clothing. That she went to and made a face because it was obvious Aversa or some other person of Grimleal chose them.

"Horrible fashion taste." Sophia sighs as she slammed it shut and looked around the place.

There were so many things and there were also a few other rooms to explore. One of them she figured out was a library. The other rooms were bedrooms, most likely for her..retainers. Henry was her first obvious choice. Tharja....was a somewhat good choice. Whoever this third retainer is, she at least hopes they are decent. Sophia opened her bag and pulled out her blue tome, letting the pages fly open as the dog size portal opened. There was one pet she chose to keep with her because they blend in easily. A fast swoop out of the portal and flew around the room, then back to her as she extended her arm.

"Claude." She smiled sadly as the green-eyed owl landed on her arm and chirped happily at her.

Claude nuzzled her cheek and suddenly had a gleam in his eye that made her smirk.

"Coming up with a scheme?" She chuckles, "I know it will work. But for now, we need to wait. As much as I hate it, we need to get accustomed here. And...." she looked over the room, "To make sure there aren't any spells or magic tools watching me." She thought.

His head turned when she heard the castle doors open and she walked out of the room, down the hallway, and to the balcony of the stairs. She looked down, and saw Henry along with Tharja had come in. Sophia jumped down, with Claude flowing behind her. Landing knelt, she stood up, walking towards them, her face void.

"Thank goodness you are alright!" Henry smiled even though it was obviously strained, "Listen...I'm sorry this happened. I..." he stopped when she raised her hand.

"It's alright." She muttered and turned to look at Tharja, who had a frown on her face.

"I'm going to be blunt, why did you choose me?" The woman spoke a bit coldly.

"........Because...." Sophia let go of a sigh, "I know.....I can trust you. You and Henry can help keep me informed. Knowing how Aversa is...they are going to try and keep me in the dark." She explained.

"Hmm." Tharja just gave a low hum, "Interesting thought. Very well. But...I know you have questions. We will do what we can to answer them." She gave her a nod.

"Thank you....." Sophia gave her a small smile as she covered her eyes, her lip quivering a bit.

"Still...They called you, _Summoned One_......" She muttered as she placed her hand on her chin in a thoughtful manner, "If I recall correctly...two years ago, Validar and the higher up mages of Grimleal performed some sort of ritual. Henry and I were not given the details, only to locate some sort of relic in the lands of Ylisse." She muttered.

"Wait, Ylisse?" Sophia looked at her confused.

"Oh! That excavation mission! Fun times!" Henry laughed.

"I think we should head up to...my room..." Sophia cringed calling that room hers, "And talk there. It's...kind of awkward just standing here." She talked about the ballroom.

"Point."

**[----]**

Sitting at the table that was made of amethyst, the trio had set up some food and tea for them to drink. Sophia was glad to find that one of the rooms on the first floor was a full kitchen. The shelves were filled with food and everything needed to make a full dinner. But she didn't have much of an appetite tonight. Though Henry kept insisting she at least drink or eat something small. Sophia made scones and found black tea on the shelves.

"Now," Henry smiled as he saw Sophia nibble on a scone, "two year ago, Tharja, a few other members of Grimleal and I were sent to an island not too far from Ylisse. We were part of an excavation team to recover old relics that were said to be hidden away there. Not just any kind. They say these relics belong to a famous mage that once lived in Thabes." He says and Sophia froze.

"Thabes...As in Naga's resting place? As in, the birthplace of the founder of Grimleal, Forneus?" She says and both just stared at her shocked.

"Yes...." they muttered, and Sophia gulped.

"I remember you said that in your homeland, there are legends and myths of Archanea and other countries. I'm assuming you know a bit about Thabes?" Henry asked and Sophia nodded.

"I know a bit...but not too much." Sophia said as he gave her a small nod.

"Back for the subject." Tharja quickly spoke, "It is said that the wife of Forneus lived there before she moved to Thabes after she married her husband. Her name unfortunately has been lost to history but there was a particular relic she wielded." She made a projection with her hands and displayed the image of some sort of lantern.

"A lantern?" Sophia raised an eyebrow as she looked at it.

The " _lantern_ " looked like something out of a fairytale. It looked like a flower bud that has yet to open. But because it is ancient and most likely hadn't seen the light of day in over thousands of years, it was a grayish color with rust.

"Very interesting....it looks like a flower yet to bloom." Sophia muttered and Tharja made the picture go away.

"That's the thing." Henry frowns, "No matter what magic was used, the flower does not bloom. Validar did try to make it open but well...that resulted in the death of 12 mages. Boy, that scene was amazing! They turned to stone as their veins became visible and then shattered like glass! Sadly, no blood but it was still amazing!" He laughed and Sophia felt her blood run cold.

The way Henry describes the way the mages died was exactly how _Harvest_ killed the Grimleal mage in Themis.

"Anyway, you need to get some sleep." Henry smiled at her, "Tharja and I don’t have many things anyway, so we already have our things. And yes, she and I are moving in to live with you." He says as she nodded.

"I'm sorry..." Sophia muttered and Tharja waved her hand lazily.

"Worry not. I really don't care as long as I don't have to fight out in the field. I much rather work on new hexes. But....tomorrow I shall bring records of the recorded heroes here in Archanea. See if we find something there of lost bloodlines." Tharja says and the two nodded.

Sophia waved to them goodbye as they left and said goodbye. Claude had perched himself on her bed stand. For her, she's going to take a bath. The bathroom in the room was huge, carved smoothly from amethyst crystals, the floors and sinks made of white marble. The mirror itself was a huge human size one, its edges made of black and white gems. Sophia just didn't care at this point. She stripped and turned on the shower, she was surprised to see indoor plumbing. The water filled the tub, yet, she sunk in and sat, despite being in warm water, she felt cold. She hugged her knees and finally let herself break down. Her voice filled with sorrow and regret as she cried her heart out.

For once in her life, Sophia wished she wasn't alone.

**\- The Next Day: Ylisse -**

The next morning Lysithea woke up, everything came crashing down to her as she realized where she was. But for now, she looked around the room she was in. It was very different to the room she had in the cottage, yet it somehow felt homey. The Ylisse castle felt warm and welcoming compared to Plegai. She looked around, the place reminded her of her old room in Valm, when she was once a noble. Lysithea sat up from the bed she was in and noticed Sophia's and her own pets were in the same room, sleeping peacefully. Ingrid and Opal, she recalls were taken to the stables. Looking at her hands, she tried to cast a simple fire spell, but nothing was happening.

"What the heck...?" Lysithea grumbled and again she tried to cast magic but no luck.

She heard the door to her room open and in came a red-haired mage dressed like a witch. Lysithea's eyes looked at her frantically and then noticed the woman was carrying a tray of food. Pancakes with honey and scrambled eggs, a cup of warm tea and a few scones.

"Good to see you are awake." Miriel gave her a small smile as she walked in and closed the door behind her, "I brought you some food." She placed the tray down on the table.

Lysithea was silent as the woman motioned her to come and sit at the comfy looking chair.

The purple haired woman carefully stood up, walked over to the table, and sat down. The scent of sweet apple blend made her mouth water, but she just stared, unsure if she should eat.

"I remember you." Miriel spoke calmly as she fixed her glasses, "You're the girl that sat on the balcony of the West Khan. It was you, Felix, Lon'qu and a blue haired woman. Lysithea, correct?"

"Yes..." Lysithea muttered as she finally decided to take the first bite.

The food was good. She liked it. Miriel let a rare smile come on her face as the woman in front of her ate.

"I am Miriel. I am the head of Ylisse Magic Academy and part of the Magic Research Team of the Kingdom. I am also part of the Shepherds." Miriel introduced herself and Lysithea nodded.

Her guard was up but she spoke.

"My name is Lysithea von Ordelia....former Duchess of House Ordelia..." Lysithea muttered as she nibbled on a scone.

"It is good to meet you Lysithea. I have heard a bit about you from Virion, along with Felix and Lon'qu." Miriel saw Lysithea's eyes turn cold at the mention of Virion and decided to quickly change the subject.

"Do you remember anything? Like how exactly you got here?" She asked.

The door to Lysithea's room was knocked and Miriel said to come in. The door opened and in came Felix along with....

"Commander, Felix, and Robin. Good to see you three." Miriel says as they come in.

Commander is Chrom.

"Good morning." Robin smiles as the trio comes in and take their seats.

It was honestly awkward and a bit strange, but for today, it must be talked about.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Lysithea. I am Prince Chrom of House Ylisse. This here is Robin and looks like you are already familiar with Felix." Chrom introduced himself along with Robin.

"Are...Ingrid and Opal safe?" Lysithea muttered and Felix spoke.

"They are in the stables. One of the pegasus knights is taking care of them." He replied and Lysithea nodded.

"We are glad you are safe but, we need you to explain to us what happened last night." Robin spoke as she lightly tapped her fingers on the table, "Miriel and our second mage, Ricken, were able to figure out that a Warping spell brought you here. _Extreme Warp_. However, such spells cannot be performed unless the location that the caster desires has something or someone, they have a connection to. And it drains them of a significant amount of magic." She explained.

"I don't understand how the _Flame_ was able to get you all the way here." Felix said referring to Sophia.

"Flame?" Chrom raised an eyebrow him.

"The one that warped her here. Her name is Sophia. But I refer to her as Flame because of her anger issues." Felix grunts and Lysithea just rolled her eyes.

"Unfortunately for all of you, even I don't know." Lysithea sighs but did look over to Robin, "But....I know for a fact I never taught her Extreme Warp. Sophia became a mage only just 6 months ago." She explained.

"Interesting..." Miriel was taking notes, "So she is a beginner mage."

"Not anymore." Lysithea muttered, "Sophia and I were going to settle down together in Plegai and live peacefully in a village. Every day, along with another friend and I, we would watch her train herself. We had to stop her multiple times from overworking herself because the few times we didn't, she would pass out or overuse her magic." The woman's mind travelled back to those days of peace.

"Settle down in Plegia...." Chrom narrowed his eyes a bit, "Are you both Plegian citizens?" He asked.

"No." Lysithea shook her head, "I fled from Rosanne, Valm. I used to be a noble, but war took the lives of friends and family there."

"My condolences." Chrom looked at her a bit sadly.

"Thank you." Lysithea muttered.

"What about your friend, Sophia? Is she from Valm also?" Robin asked.

"Actually...no. She's not." Lysithea muttered, "She explained to me that she comes from a country beyond Valm...she's a foreigner."

"Foreigner..." Chrom muttered, "Does she have skills that have never before been seen? Is that why Grimleal was after her?"

"............." Lysithea went silent as she looked down to her lap, "Yes..." She whispered.

"What...skills are we exactly talking about?" Miriel asked as the interest was now very peaked.

"She....can heal others without magic. She...possess the ability to make medicine that have saved many lives....She's....a doctor..." Lysithea whispered softly as she was now scared that these people ( _except Felix_ ) were going to go after her friend.

"By any chance....did she used needles to help someone before?" Miriel asked as she kept writing down notes.

"Umm....I think she called it acupuncture. She did tell me she helped a knight using them. Why?" Lysithea looked at them concerned and Miriel suddenly had a glint in her eyes as she fixed her glasses.

"I feel like a kid being interrogated by her parents and family members...." Lysithea thought as the red-haired mage looked excited to hear more.

"Anything else? Any other reason why Grimleal wanted her?" Robin asked, since Lysithea saying that just confirmed their suspicions that Sophia was the mage that healed them, in Ferox.

"They asked her, _Summoned One_." Lysithea spoke and the group looked confused, "Before I was warped away, one of the leaders of Grimleal called her _The Hierophant of Grima_. And the one named Aversa said she comes from a lost bloodline. Sophia honestly had no idea what they were talking about." She explained.

" _Summoned one....Lost bloodlines..."_ Robin muttered as a bead of sweat ran down her cheek, "Chrom, does the Ylisse royal archives have records of past bloodlines?" She asked and the prince was a bit unsure.

"Not all of them." The prince looked at her concerned, "Some records are in Plegai. Others are in Ferox and I believe there are some in Valm too."

"If you need records of the family bloodlines from Valm, I have them." Lysithea suddenly said and they quickly turned back to her.

"Wait...That's right." Felix thought for a moment, "House Ordelia were one of the last three houses that worshipped Mila and Duma. They oversaw keeping records of the bloodlines throughout all of Valm. But...." he looked back to her, "weren't the records lost in the war?" He asked.

"House Gai and House Alia, all their members were killed. However, they possessed copies of the original records." Lysithea had a smug look in her eyes, "However, House Ordelia, we possess the original ones. Before....my family was killed, my parents made me use magic to store away the records! I have them with me right now!" She excitedly said and waved her hand.

_Except...._

"Why is my magic not activating?!" The girl growled then pouted as she kept waving her hands up, nothing was happening.

"Ah, yes." Miriel spoke, looking at her concerned, "That's the other reason I called His Highness, Felix and Robin, today. I recall last night you are screaming about your magic not activating."

"Miriel...is something going with her?" Chrom asked and the woman nodded.

"Lysithea." Miriel turned to the girl, "Your magic...it has been cut off. You can't use it."

The world seemed like it crashed down on her.

"My...magic veins are...gone?" Lysithea gulped and the woman shook her head.

"Gods, no. You still have them. What I am saying is that you have been temporarily disabled to use magic. I don't know what spell was used on you but for the most part, you won't be able to use magic for at least a month." Miriel explained and Robin looked at her surprised.

"Is that even possible?!" Robin gasped as she saw the color drain from the violet haired girl's face.

"There are magic tools that can weaken a mage but to shut it off.... That shouldn't be possible." Felix muttered and Miriel nodded.

"I do have a theory." Miriel looked back to her notes that she and Ricken wrote last night, "This, Sophia, wanted you to be safe. She knew you would try to go back to her. However, what she didn't know that her desire to keep you from returning to her, cut off your magic system temporarily. It may also explain that strange magic circle you came from." She explained.

"Sophia willed it. She wants you safe. To not return back to her." Chrom muttered softly.

**[------]**

"I cannot believe this! For once I am stumped! This may be some never discovered magic and it is nothing like we have seen before! I've seen magic be weakened! I've seen it create wonders! I've seen it bring life to infertile land yet to see it completely shut off one's magic! And for a month! This a new discovery that I'm going to enjoy but also know I'm going to be beyond frustrated when researching it!" Miriel ranted loudly in the magic workshop that was built in the palace for the mages.

Those inside like Ricken, just shook their heads as he used a syringe to take a blood sample from Lysithea's arm. The purple haired girl just had a confused face as the red-haired woman kept ranting.

"Is she...always like this?" Lysithea asked as she and Ricken watched the woman zip around from aisle to aisle of books.

"We both stayed up all night trying to find the magic circle that appeared. I got it memorized and drew it, but no luck so far. Name's Ricken by the way." Ricken is a brown-haired boy with light brown eyes and was dressed as a mage.

"I'm Lysithea. Nice to meet you." Lysithea smiled a bit as he used a bit of healing magic on the area where he drew blood.

"WHERE IS THE BOOK OF MAGIC CIRCLES?!" Miriel's frustrated tone made the two just shake their heads.

"Anyhow," Ricken turned back to her, "We're going to be studying you for a bit due to... _your situation_. We're hoping we can find a way to reverse it, but the magic formula is different." He says.

"Any idea of how it is?" She asked as she pulled back her sleeve.

"Here's what I got written down so far." He said and showed her the magic circle drawing.

The center of it took on a shape that was like a flower lily. The characters inside the magic circle were in the language that Sophia wrote. English, she called it. Yet the three small magic circles that create a triangle format, the symbols inside of it were unknown.

"FOUND IT!" Miriel's voice made the two mages screech as she came running over to them.

She slammed a book down on the surface, causing the table to shake and nearly causing the potion bottles to fall. The woman pointed to page number 550 with a terrifying look in her eyes. The magic circle wasn't like the one Ricken drew but the characters in it were.

"These characters...." Lysithea muttered, "Wait...I know these...They appear in archives of The Mila and Duma Faithful! But...why does Sophia's magic spells have those characters?"

"The woman Aversa said she came from a lost bloodline." Miriel muttered, "I know there at least a few bloodlines that have these characters in their magic circles. Let's start with this book." She placed a green colored book on the table.

"What's this?" Ricken asked, suddenly very worried because of how fancy the book looks like.

"The royal family archives of House Ylisse." Miriel bluntly said.

"DOES LADY EMMEYRN KNOW YOU TOOK THE BOOK?!" Ricken yelled in a panic tone.

The royal archives were only allowed to be accessed by the royal family.

"No, she does not. Not even Prince Chrom knows I took this." Miriel said as the other two mages quickly stepped away.

They do not want to get in trouble.

**\- Plegia Castle -**

The minute Sophia's eyes shot open, it felt like she had been struck by lightning as waves of pain filled her entire body.

"Ahhh! Ah--Ah!" Her back arched as her fingers and body twitched as the pain was felt through her nerves.

She wanted to scream but all she could do was make distressful sounds. She could hear Claude screeching frantically and the faint sound of her door bursting open. The voices were muffled but she could see faint colors of white and black but also...the blurry color of a deep orange colored hair.

"Hold her down!" The Plain Wyvern rider quickly ordered, and the two mages held their friend down.

While the man wasn't good at magic, he knew just enough to help just in case of emergencies. He made the tips of his fingers glow green and then placed them on her shoulders. It was a technique his father taught him that allowed the muscles of the body to relax. Sophia began to calm down slumped onto the bed, panting.

"This is why you don't use Extreme Warp if you still do not know the limit of your magic." Henry smiled above her, and Sophia just answered with a loud groan.

"Anyway~" Henry sang and turned to the orange haired rider, "Thanks for the help Derick. Didn’t know you could do that." The mage smiled.

Sophia carefully sat up on her bed and looked up to see a man standing next to Tharja.

Spiky orange colored hair and wore the armor of a wyvern rider in the colors of deep shades of red, orange and gold. Brown colored eyes that held kindness and goofiness in them. The man grinned and saluted her.

"Nice to meet you Miss Water Nymph! Names Derick! Wyvern Rider number 65! Part of General Heriot's unit! I've been assigned by King Gangrel and Validar to help guard you!" The man grinned proudly and then screeched when Claude went at him.

"Oh, come on! What's up with owls always attacking me?!" He tried to swat the owl away.

"( _Click! Tick! Tick_!)" Sophia made clicking like noises with her tongue, the owl quickly looked her way and flew to perch itself on the headboard.

"Thank you. Cough!" Derick coughed and spoke up again, "As I was saying, I heard about you a bit from those in General Mustafa's army and from Henry. I help him out with his experiments."

"Experiments?" Tharja scoffed, "More like helping him with his cursed pranks! Don't think I haven't forgiven you for that accident 2 months ago!" She pointed at him and then at Henry like she was going to execute them.

"Explain." Sophia bluntly said and Henry laughed.

"We put a Risen hand under her pillow!"

**SMACK!**

"Ow!" Henry got smacked on the head by Sophia, something she would to her siblings and cousins when they would do something stupid.

"Refrain from doing pranks here. However, if you're doing it to any of the higher ups of Grimleal..." Her smile became wicked that Tharja felt pride rise in her chest, "Let those sons of bitches suffer."

"Yes Ma'am!" The two males saluted, and Sophia had to stop herself from snickering.

"Anyhow," Tharja spoke, "we have orders to familiarize you around this place.

**[-----]**

Unfortunately, Sophia had to change into the clothing Grimleal had already set up for her. Thankfully, Tharja found a decent dress and modified it to fit her. The ones that were originally these, she confirmed that Aversa chose them. Currently, she walked down the hallway with the others and Claude perched on her shoulder. The dress she wore was has long hooped sleeves, the belt was made to look like crimson flowers, the color of the dress itself was black. She was basically dressed as a female warlock. Looking around, they walked to a door made of maple wood and opened it. It was a library. Small, still a decent size.

"Interesting." Sophia muttered as she walked in along with the others, "Do you three know exactly why I'm brought here?" She asked.

"Again, we don't know. All we know is that Grimleal wants you for **SOMETHING**. The fact that you are being put in the position of higher up while still a prisoner is...concerning." Derick says as he throws her something and she quickly catches it.

It was a bottle of black hair dye.

"I overheard one of the mages complain about your hair color. You're exactly able to leave but figured I get this and a few other colors for you." He gave her a sad smile and she nodded.

She walked to a bookshelf and pulled a random book. It was a book about the Jugdrali saga. This one was the story of Sigurd and Deirdre. She opened it and the first page was a fairy tale like a picture of Deirdre in the forest, holding her staff as she was praying up to the sky.

"Hmm...." Tharja was at another aisle and muttered, "These are books on advance magic arts. Specifically, the dark ones. From what I recall what Henry said, your best attributes are Wind and Earth...." she held her chin and thought, "Have you ever tried casting Dark Spikes or Miasma Δ?"

"Does Fire count?" Sophia replied as she was reading through the book she picked earlier.

"It's something..." Tharja grumbled, "What about light magic?"

"Got it down. Currently working on mastering Elwind." Sophia replied as the other two were looking through the books.

"...........Can you cast magic without a tome?" Tharja muttered and Sophia looked up from her book, and looked over to the shelf, Tharja was on the other side.

"........I can cast Heal and Fire...without a tome." Sophia muttered and Henry frowned.

He walked up to her and handed her a book. The title of it read, " _The History of Magic: Volume 1"._

"I think you ought to read up on this. It'll be helpful. Also...I think it's best we hide you can cast magic without a tome or staff. For now, try to adjust yourself to using a tome." He said and she nodded.

“Actually, now that you and Tharja are here..." she touched her bag, "A few months ago I took a tome from the library in the castle. During my time in Ferox, I learned that when I take it out, mages specifically start feeling that they are in pain. I want to see if you and Tharja will have the same reaction." She explained.

"Do you mind if I'm here too?" Derick asked and she shook her head.

Tharja came out and Sophia pulled out the black tome. Instantly, Tharja started having a reaction and quickly ran out to the room. Derick had no reaction, but he did say he felt a bit lightheaded. Henry was....

"Ooohh! It's like ants are crawling all over me! Nyahahahaha!" Henry laughed gleefully but suddenly covered his mouth, "Cough!"

"Gha!" Sophia screeched when she saw the drops of blood he coughed out and quickly put the book away.

"I'm fine." Henry smiled at her Sophia just started using Heal on him again.

It was strange seeing someone cast magic without a staff or tome. Henry and Sophia did talk about the subject when he first introduced her to the magic arts. He recalls telling that there are people that can cast magic with those, but it is extremely difficult to do. Here, watching her, it seems that her will is what is fueling her ability to cast magic with a tome or staff.

He does recall there was one mage in Grimleal who can cast magic without a tome, however, that person left 21 years ago. He was not present of course, but rumor was that they were Validar's lover.

"Hopefully, this helps you feel better." Sophia finished and they saw Tharja had come back, after taking some medicine.

"That tome! It came from the restricted section, didn't it?!" The black-haired woman growled, and Sophia whistled, a bit guilty.

Tharja just shook her head but spoke as she walked in.

"I just got a report." She says and the other perked up, "In two days you will be presented as the Hierophant of Grima. As well as introduced to King Gangrel. I also received news that after you are introduced, Validar and a team of assassins will be leaving to Ylisse." And Sophia's eyes went wide.

The pink haired woman covered her mouth as she looked down to the ground, worry was in her eyes despite her blank face.

"They are going to go assassinate the Exalt...." she muttered, and Henry's smile grew.

"Don't worry~" He cooed, which earned him a creeped outlook from Derick and a look of disgust from Tharja, "I got my _connections_ ~" he sang.

Sophia knew who he was talking about.

**_Panne._ **

**[------]**

The next two days were uneventful. Sophia wasn't allowed to go outside the building or even go explore the courtyard. The only ones that could enter and exist were Henry, Derick and Tharja. As much as she wanted to go and investigate the place, he was in position to do such a thing. She felt anxious, nerves, like a bird trapped in a cage. Technically, that is what she is right now. A bird who had been captured and put in a cage. Allowed to sing their songs within the bars that trap them in. The windows are left open to let fresh air in. Being in the castle made her feel like she was in the hold house she used to live in with her mother and half siblings. Sophia didn't inherit the dojo her grandmother owned till she turned 18. The old house she lived in with her half siblings and mother was in terrible conditions, not to mention the abusive environment. Her mother would have mental breakdowns and Sophia would quickly lock her siblings away in their room to prevent them from taking the brunt of their mother's mental breakdowns. The woman would scream and trash. Destroy everything in her sight. She would punch, kick, bite, beat Sophia with whatever she got her hands on.

It's the reason why she can't feel any pain on her right leg. The woman managed to get a hold of the knife and stab Sophia's right leg multiple times. Once the woman realized what she had done, she ran away and disappeared for weeks. The police never found her, unfortunately. Meanwhile, Sophia witnessed her younger siblings, ages 5 and 7, break down crying as they had a neighbor drive them to the hospital, where she was treated. It's that event that caused Sophia to want to become a doctor. The original reason was to make enough money to move out and take her siblings with her. She didn't care about saving lives back then. All she cared about was the fat check that would come with the job.

_It was survival._

Sophia wanted to survive and protect her siblings. That was all. She nearly lost her right eye one time because her mother nearly assaulted her little brother. Sophia kept pacing around in her room as she had her arms behind her back. Claude looked at his master worried. Suddenly, the door to the castle opened and Sophia quickly went to the ballroom to see who had come in. From the balcony of the second floor, Sophia saw Aversa come in along with a row of 10 servants. Aversa frowned as she saw only Derick, Henry and Tharja greet her. She smiled when she heard shoes clicking as she saw Sophia walking down the stairs. Though Aversa was surprised to see the woman's hair how black, she didn't care.

"Greetings, Summoned One. How are you faring so far? Are you comfortable?" Aversa asked despite knowing how upset her question made Sophia.

Sophia put on her void face and spoke in a monotone voice.

"It is well." Sophia replied and Aversa chuckled at her void face.

"Anyhow," she motioned to the maids to walk forward, "they shall prepare you today."

The maids quickly took Sophia back upstairs and began to clean her. They even bathe her. They brought a new set of clothing that she would wear. The clothing was like a Hoshidan Priestess, except the colors of dress and armor were black and purple. Her cape is a dark blood red that stopped mid waist. Her hair was combed nicely, and they placed a crown behind her head. It was like the Exalt's crown except this one was made into the symbol of Grimleal. They also made her wear a thin black veil that covered her face. She also wore black boots.

Quickly, she was escorted outside the castle and to walk. It was strange. Aversa walked in front of her, while Derick, Henry and Tharja walked behind her. The 10 maids walked behind the trio. The hallways of the palace began to quiet down as they entered. Guards and mages alike of Grimleal bowed as she walked in. The place was silent, you could hear a pin drop in the distance. They soon arrived to the giant doors that led to the throne room. Sophia braced herself as she and the group walked in. Chairs were near the walls, filled with Grimleal mages. Their eyes bore into her soul as they looked at her as if she was a valuable piece of jewelry. Sophia steeled her nerves as they continued to walk, each person watching her every move as they stood before the throne. Validar stood next to the black marble throne where the Mad King Gangrel sat and on the left was someone she did not expect.

"Arca?" Derick narrowed his eyes as he saw his companion wearing better quality amor.

Her face was cold but there was still a cocky look in her eyes.

"King Gangrel, I present to you The Hierophant of Lord Grima. She is the one that has made the Kingdom of Plegia heal from war and famine. Medicine distributed to the people. The mortality rate dropping throughout the land." Aversa listed the things she has done while Sophia started to curse internally.

"Before you continue." Gangrel's voice irritated her but she maintained a calm composure, " Arca, confirm it is the woman you reported."

"Of course, my lord." Arca said as she walked down the stairs and walked towards Sophia.

Meanwhile..... _Sophia saw red_. The closer the woman got, the more her pulse quickened as she registered the words that were said.

" _Confirm it is the woman you reported_." Kept repeating in her mind as Arca and Aversa were five feet away, yet her body shook.

Blood pounded in her ears as her hands twitched and she could barely hear or pay attention as her vision was red as Arca pulled off the veil yet...the woman suddenly took a step back. Sophia's eyes were wide, almost looking as if they were slitting her pupils shook with fury and rage. It had been years since she felt such anger and when she raised her arms towards Arca, her voice was colder than any ice in the world.

**_"It was you."_ **

Arca or anyone barely had time to register what happened. Sophia's soulless eyes were now only a few centimeters from Arca's own. Hands wrapped around her neck and when she fell onto her back on the marble floor, it cracks under so much pressure.

" ** _IT WAS YOOOUUUUUUU_**!!!" Sophia's screams were filled with nothing but pure rage as her magic in her body was now going out of control.

The glass windows in the palace shattered as vines suddenly began to grow on the walls, covered in thorns and poisonous flowers. Arca screamed and coughed blood as Sophia's grip. Arca clawed at Sophia's hands, her nails ripping the skin and causing blood to gush but that did not stop the older woman. King Gangrel was fully entertained, watching the woman snap like a twig. Arca's face was starting to turn blue, her eyes rolling up as foam started to form from her mouth. The mages and soldiers alike were in a panic as the vines were growing thicker. Sophia's eyes were like the devil's in Gangrel's eyes. Never had he seen such monstrosity of cruelty and rage. It was a beautiful sight for him and one of joy for Validar.

"Sophia!" Henry yelled as he ran to her but the magic around her made him freeze.

It was so vicious and cold. The woman's breathing was rapid as her nostrils flared with rage. Her eyes held not a speck of the woman he knew. The magic aura around Sophia was taking on the shape of a human. It could not be seen by normal human eyes. Yet, when Henry and now Tharja tried to get closer, they felt fear. A vision flashed before their eyes as they kept trying to get closer to the woman.

_A young girl using her body to protect the younger kids. An older woman cursing and rampaging, holding a knife (a kitchen knife) and began stabbing the girl all over her right leg. Despite pain the teenager felt, only tears fell but no scream or whimpers left her lips as they kept shielding the younger kids with her body. The woman suddenly stopped, and dropped the knife, running away. Once gone, the teenage girl let out a scream that rivaled a weeping banshee. Her tears fell like a river as the younger children wept and one ran to some sort of device, screaming for help. Yet the teenager only smiled as her shaky arms hugged the children tightly._

_"I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you."_

Sophia's hair seemed to grow longer, almost looking like wings as her grip never flattered on the girl’s neck. There seemed to be some sort of sick twisted joy at how blue the girl under her was losing life. The humanoid figure that could not be seen by anyone else in the room wrapped their arms around her gently and covered her eyes as her mouth was opening to scream in rage again. But it didn't. Instead, the figure muttered whispers of comfort in her ears as Tharja and Henry ran to her. The figure only gave them a glance as their hands held her's and gently removed them from Arca's neck.

" _This isn't you."_ The figure whispered and disappeared back into her shadow as the two mages suddenly pulled the woman off Arca.

Her bloody arms dangled as her eyes were still wide and void, her hands shaking as the two mages painted, her hair had grown long. It dragged on the floor; it was surprising to see it still black. A Grimleal mage quickly went to remove Arca and took her quickly to the infantry.

**_CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!_ **

Gangrel stood up, claiming proudly as his eyes landed still on the shell-shocked mage.

"Bravo! Incredible! For all my years, this is an absolute delight, eyes the rage of someone fully coming into display." He smirked as Validar walked down with him.

"To think the Summoned one had suc---!"

_WHOOSH!_

Something zipped past Validar's cheek, just barely grazing him. He turned to look balc and saw some glass like a spear flew past him then shattered. He looked back to the woman, who's left hand was up, pointed at him. Sophia's eyes still wide and crazy as her hand went down.

"Hahahah! She openly just tried to kill you! I'm starting to think this woman would be perfect to send to war and finish off the prince." Gangrel grins.

"Sorry your Highness but that we cannot do." Validar states clearly, "For this woman is the future **[-----]** of Lord Grima. Her blood and his can produce a powerful heir. We cannot afford to lose this woman." He glared.

Sophia was too in shelled shock to hear anything. But those present were made to keep their mouths shut about what was revealed today. Validar narrowed his eyes and noticed the woman's palm was still glowing, while the other was folded over her chest. Most likely a tome she had secretly brought.

"Take her back to the Garden. It's clear she is no state to speak." Validar ordered and the group quickly took Sophia away.

Gangrel hummed as he looked around the palace. Mages were working to remove the poisonous plants to have them stored away for future uses, yet there was this strange and unsettling feeling. For now, they need to focus on the assassination of the Exalt.

**[-------]**

"Breath."

Gods, she felt like a broken wreck now. Her breaths were becoming rapid, her heart sounded like it was pounding in her ears. The sounds around her were distraught as beads of sweat ran down her face. Her body shook, her heart thundered in her chest, yet hot tears spilled from her eyes as she was made to sit on her bed. Her eyes were becoming alive again. The empty look in them was fading away, replaced with the look of a human.

"Here you go." Henry handed her a chocolate he snagged from her purse, and the woman gladly took it.

She began to nibble on it like a child, the tears still falling. Her body was still shaking as she felt the sweetness tak------!!!!

 _"I can't taste..."_ Sophia dropped the chocolate in shock as her eyes were back to normal.

"Uhhh...Tharja!" Derick yelled nervously for the mage, which she had quickly come back to check on her.

"Try this apple slice." Tharja handed her an apple slice and Sophia took a bite, shaking her head.

 _"I can't taste it....."_ The woman muttered and buried her face in her hands, "I lost it...I lost my sense of taste....the shock... _it was too much_... ** _It was too much...."_** she kept mumbling over and over again.

The tears would not stop. She hadn't felt this way in many years.

_Anger and Resentment._

_Hate and suffering._

_Null of emotions._

The tears kept falling but her soul remained still in one piece. Tharja used a bit of magic to investigate her soul yet, the woman felt something that wasn't Sophia, push her out. But...

**_"Stay out."_ **

The humanoid figure from before suddenly had a grip on Tharja's soul. Glaring at her furiously. Tharja trembled as the figure spoke.

**_"Stay out."_ **

It let go of her soul and disappeared. The mage was silent as she watched Henry use sleeping magic to make Sophia go to sleep. Something wasn't right. Whatever strange feeling she was feeling, only seemed to intensify.

**[------]**

For hours at night there was always something that was welcomed, but for tonight, something had to be done behind one's back. Derick walked through a shady alleyway as he wore a cloak to hide his identity. He wore regular clothing so he could blend in. Making a turn, he arrived at a specific area that was hidden. He looked around and saw it was empty, or so that was what others would believe.

"You there?" He muttered and heard someone land next to him.

"Yup." A male voice spoke as they walked a bit, the moonlight making it look like their hazel colored eyes glow a bit.

The two males stared at each other and then smirked as they shook hands.

"Been awhile Gaius. Glad to see you're still alive." Derick grinned at the thief in front of him.

"Good to see you two, Breaker." Gaius grins, "But why did you call me out here? I got to head out to Ylisse in a bit. We're breaking into the Ylisse castle to steal gold."

"That's the thing...." Derick sighs, "The information you've been given is false."

"Is this about how Arca got her arse whooped this morning? I wasn't there but I heard she nearly got killed by some high up." Gaius muttered.

"Honestly, she deserved it. Especially since her snitching nearly got an entire village killed." Derick huffed.

".....Whoa...uh...no comment on that." Gauis shook his head, "Anyhow, what's this about being given wrong information?"

"Right. The real reason you and the others are being sent is to assassinate the Exalt." 

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Gauis shook his head and took a step back, "Did I hear that right?! We're going to KILL the Exalt?! I'm just going there for plunder! You know, line my pocket with some royal goods. The exalt's such a sweet lady...Yeah I rob her blind, but I'd never harm her!" He says shocked and Derick sighs.

"I know. Figured I warn you now since you know....before you make the wrong move. Look..." Derick pinched the bridge of his nose, "I got a message from Anna."

"Oh, so you finally married?" Gauis smiled and barely dodged the punch Derick threw at him, "Okay! Okay!" His hands were up in defense.

"She's decided to join The Shepherds of Ylisse. We've been trading information back and forth. So...." he looked back to him.

"You want me for communication." Gaius muttered and his friend nodded.

"Get yourself hired. Join the Shepherds, and we should be able to communicate properly. I don't know what Grimleal is planning but it's something big. And unfortunately, it's going to involve the woman Arca turned in. And human sacrifices." Derick explained and Gaius nodded.

"Alright." Gaius nodded and Derick handed him a bag.

"200 gold coins and four boxes of those top-quality candies that the nobles hate sharing." Derick grins as he saw the look of joy in Gaius’s eyes.

"If you get caught...Are you sure you want to do this? You're basically betraying your country." Gaius looked at him worried.

"I'm not from here anyway." Derick muttered.

"Alright." Gaius put the bag away and was handed a letter.

"Make sure Anna gets it. And be safe."

**Chapter 11: Not So Alone**


	12. Changes of One's self

**_\- Dream -_ **

_Drip._

_Drop._

_Drip._

_Drop._

_The place he walked; the walls of stone glowed with different colored gems. The faint sound of water could be heard, as well as droplets falling slowly. The scent of water made his nose twitch a bit as he continued ahead. He could see an opening. Yet, a voice sung softly as they danced at the surface of the pond. He leaned on the wall, with arms crossed and nearly screeched when a little girl appeared next him._

_" **[----]** what are you doing here?" The girl whispered as they both watched the woman dancing and singing at the same time. _

_But the woman wasn't alone. There was another. The two were practicing dancing together and the boy looked back to her. They quickly and quietly scurried to hide behind a boulder and continue to watch._

_"Our moms snuck off again. I wanted to figure out what they were doing." The boy made signs with his hands and the girl handed._

_She began to do sign language also to speak to him. His mother taught her how to speak using their hands and body. She taught their friends as well._

_"Oh! I already knew about this!" The girl says with her hands, "Mother explained that this is a type of dancing ritual that is connected to the Fire Emblem." The girl explains._

_"Wait what?" The boy says back._

_The girl grins and places her index finger on her lips and then motions her eyes towards the two dancing women._

_Without fail, together_

_It hurt_

_In the vessel, I don't want that_

_I wanted to protect that daily life,_

_The lines up faces_

_The skies of twilight_

_Quiet, the greatest of strategies_

_I will permanently end this despair_

_Even if this body disappears_

_Fire Emblem~ Don't give up! I will not forget that promise!_

_Fir---- **Ghhhhaaaa!**_

_Both children suddenly covered their mouths quickly to keep themselves from screaming when they witnessed their mothers suddenly be electrified by some purple lighting. The two women lost concentration and sunk into the water. They swam up, gasping up for air, a bit of blood gashes from a cut on their foreheads._

_"Are you alright?" The first woman said as she looked over to her friend._

_"I'm...alright....This...is difficult. He really is doing everything to prevent us from stopping him." The second woman said as she looked over to her right hand._

_" **[-----]** , I'm not going to give up you. We can do it. The fact that this can help us stop **[----]** is amazing. My friend, we both are a key to this. We can do it." The first woman smiled sadly as the second looked at her left hand with guilt._

_It had the same brand as hers._

_"I still feel guilty....I wasn't there but it still felt like I was the one that inflicted that on you." The second woman muttered and the first one shook her head._

_"Before we continue...." the second woman turned to the boulder and smirked, "Alright you two! Come out!"_

_The first woman blinked and chuckled as they saw the little boy and girl shyly walked out from behind the boulder. The two kids fiddled with their hands and the two women swam to the pound bed, resting their arms in it._

_"So....snuck off from your studies you two?" The first woman grinned as the little girl pointed to the boy quickly._

_"He did it! He brought me here!" The girl screeched nervously._

_"I did not! You followed me!" The boy growled and the two kids suddenly had sparks flying between them._

_"Gods!" The second woman laughed happily, "You two remind me of your fathers back when we used to travel together more!"_

_The two kids made "hmph!" As they crossed their arms and then turned away from each other. The two women chuckled as they motioned the kids to come closer, which they kid._

_"Now, now, you two." The first woman smiled softly to them, "Want to learn the song with us?"_

_"Are you sure?" The second woman looked at her a bit worried._

_"It's fine **[----]**. The song is safe for them." The first woman smiled, and the kids had sparkles in their eyes._

_"Yes!" The kids grinned and the two chuckled._

_"Okay. The song starts like this. The hand that was outstretched~ The feelings and bonds that join together ~"_

**_\- End of Dream -_ **

Opening his eyes, Alm sat up from his bed and frowned. An old memory from the past that once brought joy to him. He stretched and stood up, walking to the closet to get dressed. His usual clothing, he put on, and used some magic to change his hair and eye color. He let go of a sigh as he saw that the bed next to him was empty, neatly fixed. He could hear wood being massacred outside as he went to the restroom to wash his face. The old, abandoned cottage he and Lucina were staying in at least had clean water. Letting the water drip off his face, he looked up the rusty mirror, staring at his own reflection.

"I really look like dad...." he let go of sigh as he observed his own features, but his eyes were inherited from his mother.

Alm let go of another sigh as he took out his dagger and began cutting off the long tips of his hair that had gotten too long. Took around five minutes, he cleaned up, and walked out. As he walked outside, he saw Lucina using the rapier she bought, to....

"Holy....what did the poor wooden stump do to you?" Alm chuckled as the woman stopped her thrusting and turned to him.

It felt refreshing seeing her without the mask anymore but for him, he still put it on. Well, except when they are alone, he has it off.

" **[----]**." Lucina muttered as he walked up to her, "Good morning. How are you doing?"

"Other than I cut my hair, fine." Alm sighs as he sat down on a tree stump that was turned to smithereens.

"Are you sure?" Lucina said, "It's been nearly a month since we saved my aunt..." she muttered.

"Yeah...that was...embarrassing..." Alm groaned as he covered his mouth and avoided eye contact with her.

"You are lucky I was nearby and threw you my scarf. While I admit, you looked ridiculous..." Lucina let a coy smile come on her face, "It was a fun sight seeing you nearly get stomped over by Panne." She snickered a bit.

"My love! You wound me! I could have turned to bunny food!" Alm gave her an offended look.

"Don't let Yarne hear you call his mother that." Lucina sighs a bit.

"Don't worry, he'll become stew before he even gets a chance."

" **[----]!** "

Lucina looked at him like he grew a second head and Alm just shook his head, chuckling.

"I'm joking Lucy. You know I never do that to him." He says as he stood up and stretched a bit.

"You should work on your sense of humor." Luina huffed a bit.

"My dad and yours always told me that. Except my uncle. He actually liked my jokes." He gave her a grin and Lucina shook her head.

"Anyhow, I got some good news....but also not so good news." Alm sighs and Lucina looked at him, concerned.

"The good news is that we got a lead at where one of the twins maybe." He began, "The bad news....Plegai...There have been recent reports that the Grimleal have been kidnapping women and children from villages across the nations. And one of them is..." he stopped talking immediately when Lucina suddenly stabbed the wooden stump viciously.

"What?" Lucina's voice was laced with venom as the shadows covered her eyes, "How exactly did this happen?"

"Morgan came across a village that was under attack and fought to protect it. And well...he got taken. I'm worried he's going to be sold in a black market there. Unless we get someone to get to him, we have our ropes tied." Alm explained and Lucina was seething.

"Extreme Warp." She nearly yelled, "You can use Extreme Warp, right?!"

"Lucina, as much as I wish I could use Extreme Warp....I was never taught how." Alm shook his head as she gritted her teeth.

"But......" hope appeared in her eyes as he continued to speak, "maybe....we can take advantage of blending with the Plegai Army. I could use the illusion spells Bernie and Ryo taught us." He replied.

"That could work. But seeing how things are, we should start heading Plegai if we want to reach it in time. Unfortunately, today is also the day Exalt Emmyren must head towards the eastern palace." Lucina sighs and then smiled softly when arms wrapped around her from behind.

Alm rested his chin on her shoulder and muttered.

"We'll find them Lucy...our friends...our family. We'll save them. Don't give up." He mutters and they intertwine their hands.

"Your mother would say that a lot..." Lucina whispered and Alm let go of a small sigh, looking up to the blue sky.

"I know."

**\- Plegia -**

Cold ruby emerald eyes narrowed as she bent down to touch the sand of dessert. She looked around, only seeing cactus, and almost screamed when the ground began trembling. She screamed and ran for her life as a sand hole opened and out came the monstrosity of a Sand Worm.

"Hey Sophia! Look what I can do!" Henry laughed gleefully as he was sitting on top of the sandworm and poor Derick was holding on for life.

"Why must you drag me into this?!" Derick whined loudly and Sophia just shook her head as her lips twitched a bit.

The loud screech was heard as she looked up to the dust covered sky, a faint shadow of brown was seen. It swooped down as Sophia extended her arm. A small smile graced her lips as the Plegain Owl chirped happily as she fed it a dried fish.

"Find anything Claude?" Sophia muttered as the owl flapped its wings rapidly.

"Oh? So, you finally found the earth vein?"

It took everything in Sophia not to groan as she put on a void face and turned to the man that walked towards her with an amused look on his punchable face.

"Claude has found at least a small oasis that can help us locate a vein." She still wore the black veil that hid her face, "King Gangrel, be honored that I am kind because I seek prosperity for the people of Plegia. The land weeps and mouths weep for food. For the winds of the land cry for life and yearn for peace." She said coldly.

Arca along with a few Plegai generals nearly snarled because of the cold tone she spoke to the king. Mustafa, along with General Heriot, shook their heads. Thankfully, they understood her anger. It has been a month since Sophia was forced in a position of power by Validar and Aversa. These past weeks have been nothing but studying books about magic. Learning how to cast curses, how to create hexes, how to use necromancy magic ( _which she nearly vomited making a dead rabbit rise_ ). Next, to study the history of Plegia as well as the history of Grimleal. As much as Sophia hates to admit, reading the history of Grimleal and Plegia was...interesting to say the least. She still has not forgiven Arca for snitching on her and if given the legal chance, she does consider killing her. _But that is a consideration._

They made her a motivator of the country. Spreading propaganda of power, conquest and glory. She had been playing the role of _"political_ " puppet. Only few good things have happened so far is when Validar's " _death_ " was announced and that the assassination was a failure. Of course, once Sophia was alone in her room, she began cheering, a bright smile on her face to know that Emmeryn survived. However, she knew that at some point Validar would return. The most she could do right now is to start planning some form of escape but she doesn't want to abandon the people. Plegai has suffered much and the good thing about her political position is that she has been allowed now to travel to villages to help the people. Gangrel and Grimleal want their soldiers to be ready for war.

She wants to help the people. Thankfully, finally being allowed to travel after the first two weeks October after being quarantined in the damn castle called the Garden. Now that the weeks have passed, it was November. Sophia realized she was going to be spending her first winter in Plegia. From what she has learned from reading the history, fall and winter were nightmares. The dry land made the winter nights harsh. The freezing temperatures would literally freeze the ground and peaks of ice would form. It felt strange watching a country be at war from the enemy side. But she knew that the real enemy was Grima. Not to mention more battles that are yet to come.

"How far is the oasis?" Aversa muttered as she walked and then stood next to her.

"Around four hours from here. If it hasn't dried up, we may have a chance to make some of the land fertile." Sophia sighs and looks over to one of the higher up mages of the Grimleal council, "Have the methods of farming and cultivating been taught yet at the villages that produce greens?" She asked.

"While the method was recently applied," an old coon spoke in a snooty tone, " they have been seeing resul----Ghhaaa! Make that sandworm go away!" The sandworm got closer to the group, and the others were about to run for their lives.

"You two get off that blasted thing!" General Heriot yelled and the two males on it whined like kids.

The fact that Henry learned how to control the monster impressed her. Sophia just shook her head as she saw Tharja seated on a wyvern. She had her own wyvern that was bought for her. The gentle giant was covered in black scales and had deep pink eyes. It had grown attached to her, which she will most likely steal this sweetheart away from this place once the opportunity arises.

"Let's go." She mounts the wyvern and flies up with Tharja.

Aversa flowing behind her with her pegasus as the others are to stay behind. The feeling of the wind in her face and hair was a wonderful feeling. While it had only been a few weeks, it felt like years to her.

Her sense of taste unfortunately has been lost. The shock from learning who turned her made all the emotion she was holding in, just burst out. It was like a dam had split open. Everything poured out like a rushing river. The anger and resentment she felt just poured out. Then there was a small sick feeling when she made her first kill, returning when she nearly killed Arca. The only reason she didn't kill the girl was because Henry and Tharja held her back. Tharja said to ignore the girl because her pitiful soul was not worth torturing. Henry said that she should wait for the legal opportunity or just let him plan her death. As they flew, Sophia could see a few Grimleal members walking through the desert, every 20 minutes. She was glad not to see them with people they have kidnapped but the minute she did spot one, the woman would instantly swoop down and demand they return the person back to their village. As much as Aversa wanted to tell Sophia to shut up, Validar, before his death, had granted her limited commands she could give to the Grimleal mages.

"I SAID TAKE THE WOMEN THIS INSTANT TO THE NEAREST VILLAGE BEFORE I TURN YOU TO CINDERS!" Sophia roared as her hands literally produced balls of black flames.

Add that with her wyvern, which she decided to name Petra, snarled viciously at the mages. Sophia has proudly ( _internally_ ) declared herself a Malig Knight.

The Grimleal mage was terrified and quickly used his magic to warp the two women to the nearest village, which was two hours away.

"If I find out those women weren't returned to the village..." Sophia's hands were now suddenly crackling with black lighting, "I will personally turn you to cinders or have you fed to the Sand Worms."

"Yes, your Dark Holiness!" The mage screeched and quickly ran away.

Sophia let go of a sigh as she extinguished her left hand but made the ball of black fire and lightning become the size of a tennis ball in her right hand. She stared at for a while as they continued ahead. Her fire and lightning magic weren’t like this before. She wiggled her fingers a bit as she moved around the fireball, making it spin around like a pencil. A movement she would do when she was bored. Ever since she has been made to study the dark arts, her magic has taken a different shape. Aversa along with many of Grimleal were happy to see her nack for dark and black magic. Dark Magic is dubious in nature, but not necessarily evil. It comes from knowledge. Just because she is the caster, does not mean she is evil. However, black magic is created and harnessed from negative emotions. Sophia has to be careful when using it because she learned the hard way that if she abused it, it could harm her. Dark and Black magic can take on the shapes she desires. Sophia doesn't feel proud learning these dark arts. Despite having been forced to study them, her strength has grown, and it was frightening.

"I see trees up ahead!" Tharja yelled out and the flying units sped up a bit more.

The sight of a small pound and a few palm trees was enough to bring some hope to Sophia as they flew closer, and then landed. The oasis was decent, plenty of water and some desert plants growing. Aversa frowned as she looked around and tapped her heel on the dirt, which was soft and a bit muddy.

"Do be a dear and hurry. My shoes are becoming filthy." Aversa muttered.

"Then you shouldn't have come if you're going to complain." Sophia snapped back and the two had sparks flying between each other.

There were very few people Sophia got along with in Grimleal. There was Henry and Derick who she got along with greatly. Tharja was not so sure but she knows she can trust her. Arca can go fuck herself. Aversa, she didn't get along with at all. The two would start bickering and then turn into full yelling matches regarding both political topics and other things. Gangrel found it entertaining because seeing Aversa finally meet her match was a satisfying thing to see. Then there was her mentor, the one that was in charge of teaching her magic. The man, it was a civil relationship. Though he didn't hesitate in ripping her apart using his words when she made a mistake or didn't learn a spell fast enough. Because her mentor also saw that she had a closer affinity to earth and wind magic, he also decided to teach her how to feel the energy of the earth and use it to her advantage.

Tharja just stood back as she did not want to get involved in the fight that was about to occur. But the two females just glared, and Sophia went to pound. Touching the water, she could feel magic flowing through it. A month ago, she wouldn't have been able to do. A month ago, she lost her sense of taste and unfortunately it has not returned. A month ago, and still to this day, she hopes she can escape this place. But she does not want to abandon the people. Ever since she was made a political tool, and allowed to travel the land, she was able to learn how much damage the war from 15 years ago affected the land. So much war....many still feeling the after effects to this day. Lands that were once fertile, now desolate. The chance of life returning to those lands was low, but it was possible. She met people that still hold resentment and grudges towards Ylisse. She didn't blame them. If she had been in their shoes during the time of war, she would too. War orphans that lost their parents had either had to resort to thieving to survive, or join the army to fight to be fed. Some helped the people restore as much of the lands as they could, or left Plegia altogether. Derick is a war orphan. His mother and father both fought in the war and were killed in battle. Yet he holds no grudge towards Ylisse. General Heriot took him and raised him as his own son. 

"The vein....." Sophia muttered as she removed her veil to have a better look at the place.

In the presence of the public, she is not allowed to remove the veil. The citizens of Plegia do not know her identity, nor do they where she hails from. For them, she has become in a way a savior to them. Some sort of light that has helped bring some sort of prosperity to the land despite the war happening. This winter was going to be the first many people would be able to sleep with bellies full. Supplies to create medicine have been provided to her, and once they are made, they are distributed to the people. Those who have to go to war, the most she could do is teach ( _force_ ) the dark mages basic healing magic. They now carry at least a Heal or a Restore tome with them.

"Well?" Aversa said in an inpatient tone that Sophia just shot her glare as she dipped her feet in the water.

"I found it. But it's withering. If I'm going to expand and revive it, I need a few earth and wind tomes. Tharja." Sophia turned to the dark mage, "Did we bring earth elements gems?" She asked.

"Yes." Tharja muttered as she warped her a small purple bag into her hands.

Opening it, inside is sapphire, zircon, quartz, beryl, tiger's eye and pietersite. These gems represent the earth in her old home. So, learning that they had some magic in them and could be used, was a great finding. While mages here in Archanea do use magic tools, they usually do not mess around with the more potent natural resources of the land. That usually falls onto Faerie Doctors, which are rare. Sophia removed her armor along with the cape and kimono she wore. Underneath it, she wore a black tank top and shorts that stopped just above her knees.

The day she snapped; her hair had grown longer. Henry described it looked like black wings till she snapped out of it and then it was back to normal. So long that the tips just barely touched the floor. The fact that it remained black with the hair dye still surprised her. Sophia cut off about five feet of her hair using her dagger and began walking towards the center of the pound. It looked like she was going to commit suicide but that wasn't the case. She took a deep breath and dove down, using wind magic to create an air bubble around her head, allowing her to breath properly. The pound had life, which was a good sign. Schools of freshwater fish swam peacefully as she continued deeper. At most, the pound was 40 feet deep. Feeling the magic of the earth, she could tell Tharja was a bit worried. Aversa hoped she drowned.

"Fuck you too bitch." Sophia muttered as she kept swimming and finally reached the pound bed.

There were small cracks that glowed a faint green, yet the light was somewhat weak. Sophia's feet touched the mud, the feeling cool on her skin. She then knelt, placing her hand over one of the cracks. Her eyes went wide as her magic veins suddenly became visible all over her body. It wasn't hurting her. In fact, the vein felt it was welcoming her, like it missed her. Sophia didn't understand. Two months ago, she didn't know what an earth vein was till she was imprisoned in Plegia. The Earth Veins were said to be created by Mila during the time the Divine Dragons ruled the land. The vein brought life to infertile lands, allowing humans to prosper and build kingdoms. Before Mila was banished, she bestowed her knowledge of how to activate them to a clan named after the Earth Dragons, _The Gaia_. The people are said to have been lost in time but some of their books, scrolls, and tomes survived the passage of time. Valm possesses those books, locked away. Sophia only hoped they weren't destroyed because of the war. Grimleal only managed to get their hands on one tome when they broke into the Khan's treasury in Ferox.

And since she had an affinity for earth magic...she had been allowed to take the book from the Restricted Section in the library. Sophia sighs a bit as she takes out the gems and stands up, using her feet to start drawing a magic circle. Around 10 feet. She used her fingers to write the many small characters in it. They were a mixture of the native language of Valm, Archanea and surprisingly, English. Though it goes by a different name here. After that, she used magic to remove the black dye off the hair she cut, revealing it's real color. Sophia let go of a sigh as she stared at her own hair. The color of a reddish orange red brought back memories, both harmful and warm. She used magic to make it stay in the center and then place the gems around it.

"Relax...you can do it." Sophia took a deep breath as she extended her arms out, as if she was about to sing to an audience.

She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the life of the water, the fish swimming, the silent song of the earth. This was the first time she was ever going to perform a ritual like this. The fact that her mentor went brutal on her to prepare her, she sends them a silent thank you.

_Ancient light~_

_Away ~_

_Sing with me tonight ~_

_Mother Earth ~_

_Away~_

_Let us sing ~_

_The song of life ~_

_I breath in this life, to walk my path ~_

_The future I create, by my own hands ~_

The magic circle began to glow a bit as she continued to chant the incantation. The veins on her body began to glow brighter, the feeling of energy poured into her body.

_Full field ~_

_Of life ~_

_The bird sings with its chicks ~_

_Ancient life ~_

_Rebirth ~_

_The cycle of life continues forward_

_I sing this song of life ~_

_Praying for love and joy ~_

_I sing song of peace ~_

_Prosperity restored ~_

She could hear whispers and murmurs fill her ears and mind as she kept singing. The cracks began to glow brighter, as if they were coming to life. The more Sophia began to chant, the more the vein like structure began to become visible. Back at the surface, Aversa and Tharja walked in shock as green light poured from the pound. A bead of sweat ran down the silver haired woman's cheek as she noticed the plants suddenly start growing even more. Sophia gritted her teeth as she was starting to feel a bit tied but force herself to keep singing. She saw the hair she offered align with the gems, dissolve, entering the cracks.

_Ancient songs reborn~_

_The soul rebirth ~_

_Mother Earth ~_

_Sing once more~_

_I sing this song of life ~_

_Prosperity restored ~_

_I sing this song of life, hoping for rebirth_

_Sing away ~_

_Breath away ~_

_Ocean of Stars, life beings ~_

_Life returns ~_

"Ngh!" Sophia grunted as the veins almost seemed like it was singing with her. Its shape began to show, it began to grow, almost extending like tree roots. The once thin dying vein was growing once more, becoming fuller. The ground underneath the two females on the surface glowed, almost looking like cracks. They quickly mounted their flying suits and flew up, their eyes going wide as the roots kept growing, extending their reach more and more. Sophia's singing became louder, as beads of sweat rolling down her face as she was feeling drained but kept going.

"Tomes! Throw the tomes into the water!" Sophia mentally yelled to Tharja.

The dark mage quickly had her wyvern fly over the pound and dropped four wind and four earth tomes into it.

"AaaahhhhhhAhhhhhhhh~" Sophia sung louder as the tomes turned to green dust and were absorbed by the vein.

"More....Just...a...little...longer!" Sophia thought as she kept singing, the vein now slowly coming to a halt.

She nearly froze when she felt like eyes had snapped open and were staring at her in shock but also amazement. It was as if she encountered someone else. She could feel them observing her but didn't do anything. They were merely curious. They meant no harm.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh~" She sung the final verse; the magic circle slowly faded away.

_"Thank you! Thank you! Welcome back! Welcome back!"_

The voice of Earth vein kept repeating excitedly as their voice faded away. Sophia dropped to her knees, panting as the veins on her body faded away. She was so tired. She had never performed a full ritual like this, and it was the first time she used magic to an extreme. She was confused as to why the earth vein kept saying " _Welcome back_." Not to also mention the other person she encountered suddenly. She did not expect it at all. She looked up towards the surface, seeing the sunlight pour in. The plants on the lakebed look healthier and happy. She took a deep breath and quickly began swimming to the surface. It took about 10 minutes, but she made it. The minute her head was out to the surface, her air bubble popped, and she took a deep breath. She allowed herself to float on the water, laying on the surface peacefully. She wanted to sleep. She looked up and saw the wyverns and pegasus flying above her. They swooped down and hovered a bit. Aversa had an unreadable expression as Tharja spoke.

"It went well. The ritual was a success." The woman spoke, despite her blunt tone, there was a rare smile on her face.

"How...many miles?" Sophia muttered as Aversa frowned.

"500 miles. You managed to expand the vein that much. It is...impressive. I thought most you were going to only succeed at 100 but it seems you surpassed that. You aren't so useless after all." Aversa muttered and Sophia just smiled weakly.

"I'll take that as a compliment...." Sophia sighs as Tharja uses a bit of magic to make her float, then mounted her on Petra.

"Let us head back."

**[-----]**

The ride back to The Garden was silent. Before they returned, Aversa gave ( _threw)_ a black cloak to her and used to cover herself completely. After all, only a selected few of Grimleal and Plegai could see her face. She quickly retreated to the garden, where she went to have her clothing changed. At least now she could wear her original clothing she would usually wear. Sophia let go of a sigh as she entered her room, Claude perching himself near the window. She was so tired. Right when she was about to lay down to sleep, the damn doors of the Garden slammed open. Sophia grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it, pissed that someone disturbed her right when she was going to sleep. She stood up, grabbed her black veil, put it one, and stormed out of the room despite how much her body ached. A few minutes later she arrived at the balcony of the second floor, seeing Gangrel’s with his punchable smirk. Henry and the others were silent as the king came in, followed by Aversa and another Grimleal higher up. She jumped down, like usual, and landed gracefully on the floor.

"What do you want?" Her voice was cold as she walked up and stopped about five feet away from them.

"How long till people can start settling on the land?" The Grimleal mage said, right down to business.

"One month. It should allow the vein to properly heal the land." Sophia muttered and the Grimleal mage nodded.

"One month?" Gangrel glared, we need the land to heal now! We have war and the soldiers need to be ready to fight!" He growled.

"You started this war! Deal with the consequences!" Sophia growled back, anger in her eyes.

"Hahaha!" The man locked as he looked down at her with a smirk, " Look at your true colors showing! Under that cold and voidless mask, lies a human filled with nothing but rage and anger, ready to destroy everything in their path. You're just a walking time bomb." He laughed cruelly at her as her hair suddenly raised itself as if they were snakes.

"Keep at it Gangrel....I'll be more than happy to RIP that head off your shoulders." She hissed.

"Ha! I do wish to see a performance of rage again! But seeing you are tired...hmm..I have a better idea." His grin became sadistic, "The Black Market. I heard there will be an interesting auction tonight."

"I swear if your men caught fae again!" Sophia growled and barely quickly used magic to cast a barrier around herself.

"Argh!" Gangrel hissed when his hand hit the electric barrier she creaked, he nearly slapped her.

"You witch!" Gangrel snarled and raised his sword to strike her but stopped when the Grimleal mage began screeching that The Hierophant of Grima should not be fighting.

"Tch." Gangrel put his sword away and glared, "You win this round witch. I'll see you tonight at the Black Market." And he turned away, storming out.

There was tense silence and the mage spoke.

"You will not go to the Black Market!" They screeched and she just rolled her eyes.

"I will do what I want. Besides, it's been awhile since I have sold medicine there. You need funds for the war anyway." And the word of " _funds_ " the mage coughed.

"V-Very well then, that can be arranged." He coughed and left, with a greedy smile on his face.

Of course, money was the thing that motivated him or at least let her do what she wanted. Aversa shook her head and turned to her.

"Who would have thought you be the type to enjoy things like that. Have you fallen to madness yet?" She smiled and Sophia just rolled her eyes as she turned away, waving her hand.

"Unlike you, I have my own definition of fun. It involves books, rare materials, a table full of liquor and sweets. It CERTAINLY does not involve you! Shoo! Shoo!" Sophia shoos Aversa away as if she was a rodent.

The woman glared at her coldly and left. Just a few more weeks and the ritual to summon the _darkness_ will take place.

**[------]**

She could sleep. Which resulted in her sleeping till 9pm and scrambling into her warlock red dress and put on her fox mask. Tharja said she wanted to do nothing with the black market. So, the one's escorting her to the damn place were Henry and Derick. Personally, she rather goes alone but considering the amount of times she has nearly been poisoned....

"I hate this..." Sophia groans as she and the others walk through the black-market plaza.

The place seemed livelier. Perhaps because business has been booming ever since she has been made into a political pawn. Very few good things have come out being at the mercy of Grimleal and Gangrel. She learned the hard way what it was like for noble to constantly be awake, with a dagger besides their bed. There have been at least 40 attempt assassinations on her. Poisoning the food brought to her was the most obvious. It forced her to start taking small amounts to make her body become immune to them. The second was someone would break in. That would result in either Henry or Tharja using magic to have them meet a gruesome death, or the Grimleal get their hands on them and they also meet a gruesome death. Or Derick gets to twist their neck, having them meet a quick death. They arrived the entrance, where they were greeted by a dark mage, and lead them to one of the balconies. Of course, on the right side across from her, sat Gangrel, with an amused smirk on his face as he saw her sit down. Henry and Derick standing behind her to make sure she was safe. There was a table full of fruits, cheese, and crackers, mostly likely to snack. Even wine. The underground bidding area was like a giant stage of those of the Roman empire. There were countless people dressed in black and wore mask, to hide their identities. Sophia mentally scoffed. 

During her time here, she learned that more about the black market. People from all around come here. Especially when it comes to biddings. Even nobles from Ylisse come here to get their hands-on things. She let go of another sigh as she watched people get in their seats and ready to bid.

"Let us start with jewelry!" Of course, the bidding was going to start off with rare gems.

Nothing caught Sophia's attention as the hours went by. Animals, jewels, rare materials that she already had plenty of. Weapons, books that were of high value from Ylisse, and other things. The final hour has come as the man came up to the stage, a magic stone he held in his hand as he began to speak.

"Now ladies and gentlemen! It is time for the rare prize that has been brought to us tonight!" The man says as he motioned the mages to come.

"Let go of me!"

Sophia slowly stood up as she walked to the balcony edge, her eyes wide as she masked her shock. Many began muttering to themselves as the mages forced a child to walk out. Blue colored hair combed down, their clothing was a bit in tatters, but their legs and wrist had chains that drained them of magic. Their skin was a bit pale, most likely from being held captive for battle. The child was made to stand at the center, while the mage smiled.

"Today's prize a young boy with incredible magic talent as well as the mind of a tactician! Seems they also carry around a powerful tome!" The man grinned as the boy sent him a dirty look, "Let's start off with 2 gold coins!"

Sophia was horrified and Henry could see her mind racing. The woman gritted her teeth as a bead of sweat ran down her face. She could just turn away and pretend this never happened, or...she could live with the torment of letting a child be sold. _And not just any child_. The number of gold coins kept increasing as the bidders kept saying numbers. Clearly, everyone wanted this boy, for either sick things or such. Gangrel laughed at how frustrated many were getting.

"4000 Gold coins!" One woman yelled.

"4000! Going once, going twice, going three times and s---!!"

**"10,000 GOLD COINS!"**

Every single person's eyes snapped up to the balcony, Gangrel's smile only grew as he watched the woman stand on top of the rail. Sophia used her wind magic to start walking down the air, as if she were walking down on stairs. Her eyes cold as she walked down, never taking off from the land and child. As she walked, her heels sounded as if they were clicking on glass. The mage could barely make out words as she made her way down.

"10,000 gold coins. Along with boy’s tome, I add another 1,000. Making it 11,000 gold coins." Sophia said in a monotone voice as her heels now touched the stone stage.

The mage stuttered as the boy could barely make out words. Her voice sounded familiar to them.

"Umm....Anyone else?" The mage barely stuttered out, but no one could go past that.

"Going once...going twice...going three times, Sold to...uh..the woman of the fox mask." The mage yelled out and Sophia nodded then turned to the boy.

The boy looked at her confused, unable to figure out who she was. For now, this was all she could do.

**[------]**

"Here you go Miss Client." A mage handed her a magic ring as she handed him her card.

The mage tapped it on a magic tool and Sophia saw the money transferred to them. They brought the boy to her still in cuffs and a collar around the neck.

"Remove the cuffs." Sophia ordered and the mage looked at her with a not so sure face.

But they did as they were told and removed the cuffs off the boy.

"Ah, Ms. Client." The mage spoke and pointed to the ring she put on, "The ring is to help your slave obey you. If they disobey, you can electric shock them with it." They said.

"Noted." She said coldly and motioned Henry to put a cloak on the boy.

She began to walk, the three following behind her. The boy was still confused but something about the woman felt familiar. He felt...safe. Unfortunately, Gangrel had to cross their paths. The king smirked as he walked up to her, and she put her hand across, to keep the boy back, also her way of saying if he dared even try anything, she would ruin him.

"Very interesting. You used quite a bit of coin. All for a child? My, you certainly have strange tastes. Wouldn't it have been better to let the boy be killed?" His voice irritated her ears and she spoke.

"I spend my money however I want." She said and walked past him.

"Ah, before I forget." He said and she stopped, "You will not be the only one in the garden in a few weeks." He smirked and she just continued to walk.

**[-----]**

Arriving at the Garden was quick thanks to the wyverns they flew. The next problem was after they went in and Tharja looked like a walking corpse.

"Holy shit! What happened?!" Sophia yelled loudly as she and Henry quickly locked at the doors.

Tharja's hair was an absolute mess and seems a part of her clothing was in tatters. The woman painted as she pointed to the second floor.

"Magic. LAB. NOW!" The woman said angrily but Sophia raised her hand.

"I'll be there in a bit. I first have to address him." She looked over to the boy, who still looked at her confused.

That's right, she hasn't removed her mask yet.

"Very well." Tharja muttered as she narrowed her eyes.

Sophia and the group walked up the stairs to the second floor, the trio went to the library while Sophia took the boy to her room. Once in, she closed the door and had the boy remove his hood.

"Are you alright?" She asked as the boy stared at her with narrow eyes.

He was still very tense but nodded.

"I am....But....why did you buy me? Are you going to use me for sick experiments?" He said coldly and Sophia laughed a bit.

"I'm evil but not that evil." Sophia sighs but continued to speak, "I saved you because I know you are important." She removed her mask and the boy's blue eyes went wide.

"No...way...It's....S-So...." the boy stuttered as he looked at her shocked, a giant goofy grin suddenly appeared on his face.

"Teacher!" He said full of joy while Sophia looked like she got punched in the gut, " I was worried we got separated!"

"Say what?" Sophia blinked multiple times at him.

"Yeah! No harm done! That means we can head back to home! Mother and Margaret will be happy to see you again! Wow! You don't look so depressed anymore! Like a decade younger you look! Does that mean you are finally not overworking yourself?" Morgan said happily while Sophia's head was spinning.

"One moment!" She yelled as he looked at her confused.

"Teacher, are you alright?" He asked, worried and she shook her head.

"Morgan...I...you came from the future also..." she muttered and he looked at her confused.

"The future? Umm.....Teacher, are you alright? What do you mean I come from the future? Why are you so confused and conflicted? It's me! Morgan! Your number one student in the arts of chakram wielding!" He says, "You are acting strange. Did you drink too much sake again? Margaret always says you have a drinking problem." He looked at her innocently.

"I have a drinking problem in the future? Fuck." Sophia cursed as she rested her hand on her forehead and looked at him unsure.

"I see you still curse a lot. But why were you in the black market? We should head home. Which--Arrghh!" The boy suddenly held his head in pain and she quickly ran to him to calm him down.

"Morgan, do not force yourse----" He suddenly grabbed her shoulders tightly and his eyes held fear.

"Wait...you shouldn't be here! I... Margaret and I...we saw you....argh!" He held his head again and Sophia this time began using healing magic on him to calm him down.

Calming sensation filled the boy as he looked back at her. Her magic felt warm and sunny yet a bit cold, compared to when she previously used Heal on him. That heal she used when he injured himself in one of their training sensations was filled with kindness but an immense amount of sorrow.

"Morgan, listen to me." Sophia spoke calmly, "I shouldn't be having this conversation with him." She thought as she continued to speak, "I....am not the Sophia you know. You come from the future."

"What?! That's impossible! Time magic is extinct from what I know! It shouldn't even be possible!" Morgan denied and she shook her head again.

"It's not. Look at me." She chose his face and made him look at her, "Morgan, look again. Do I look like a hollow shell of a human?" She asked.

The boy's eyes wandered around her face and shook his head slowly.

"Your eyes...they aren't dull. You...don't smell like sake or that drink you call tequila. There..aren't dark circles under your eyes." He muttered, trying to process the information he just gained.

"See." Sophia sighed a bit, "Morgan...at this time, I am still too young to have you as a student. Much less...in a way you are...never mind." She sighed once more, "What I'm trying to say, you are not born yet. I know this is difficult to take in, but I do hope you understand." She explained.

"I think...I understand..." Morgan looked at her a bit worried as she let go of his face.

"For now, yes. I did save you from nearly being turned to a slave. From now on, you will remain with me until we find your sisters and friends. Especially with your memory gone. Another thing, if you ever meet your mother, do not call her that. Not yet." Sophia muttered as she ruffled his head a bit.

"Why can't I call her mother? And...I think...I remember I have two...sisters? Margaret one is named...but I don't know the other." Morgan says as she looks at him sadly.

The sad thing about the situation is that Morgan will never properly get his memories back. What was even worse was learning that her future self-had become an alcoholic and a depressed hollow human! Sophia let go of a sigh as she used magic to remove the collar off Morgan and then spoke.

"It's alright. In time...you will remember. For now, go use my bathroom and take a bath. I'll make you some food after you come out and clothing should be prepared for you by a brownie." Sophia sighs ( _she lost track at this point_ ) and points to the bathroom door.

"Wait...there fae here?" Morgan blinked and at that moment, Aqua and Ariel manifested with mischievous giggles.

"Aye! The boy is innocent! The scent of the fell is on him but it's not evil~" Aqua giggled as she circled around the boy.

"What do you mean fell?" Morgan asked and their eyes went wide.

"You can understand us?" Ariel landed on his head, confused.

"Somewhat? But I can still make out some sentences?" Morgan questions and Sophia smiled a bit as she saw the other fae, the brownie, pouting.

"Ivy, could you get some clothing for him please?" She asked and the fae nodded as she disappeared like a ghost.

"Anyhow," Sophia turned back to the boy, "Go get cleaned up. You have a rough night."

**[----]**

Once Morgan went to take a bath and the two fae decided to sleep on her bed, she went to the library where the others were. Ho, boy. She was in for a surprise. Sophia could hear bickering from the other side of the door and opened it, barely ducking down as something flew above her. She looked back and saw it was a book, and slowly looked back inside the room.

"Come on Sunshine! I swear I'm not here to kill your master!" An orange haired man wearing a brown bandanna on his head and wearing the clothing of a thief, was trying to back away from Tharja.

The woman looked ready to curse him.

"Come on, Tharja. I swear he's a friend." Derick tried to reassure the woman, who gritted her teeth.

"Some friend! How on earth was he able to get inside here?! The fact I detected him shows he is a danger!" The woman growled and everyone turned when they heard the door close.

Sophia covered her face with one hand as she walked forward, and Gaius narrowed his eyes at her.

"So....this is the rumored Shadow Exalt of Plegia.." he muttered and she looked up to him.

"Excuse me what?" Sophia was barely able to say.

"Oh come on." Gaius looked at her like she was stupid, " You seriously don't know! You're being called the Shadow Exalt outside of Plegia! You give medicine to the people, helping them out, and such, it's just like the Exalt in Ylisse!" He says and the temperature in the room dropped.

"I am no Exalt!" Sophia growled furiously, " **I am a doctor!** **I save lives!** That is my job! You think I wanted this position?!" Gaius suddenly looked at he shocked, "I was forced to be here!" She slammed her left hand on the table, "I gave up **my** freedom to save my friend! They would have taken her prisoner if I didn't! I may be some political pawn right now but no way in hell am I turning my back on the people! You think I wanted to be dragged into this?! INTO THIS DAMN WAR!? INTO YOUR NATION'S AFFAIRS?! I'M A FOREIGNER FOR FUCKS SAKE! I SHOULDN'T EVEN BEEN BROUGHT TO THIS! " Sophia roared furiously as she suddenly grabbed her right wrist, to keep herself from nearly casting a fire spell.

The silence was tense ahead and she tried to calm down her breathing.

"You're Sophia."

Her eyes suddenly went wide as he looked at her up and down, concerned on his face.

"You're Cupcakes friend, aren't you?" He asked and Sophia blinked multiple times.

"Cupcake....Wait...Lysithea?! You know Lysithea?!" She ran up to him and he saw concern and worry in her eyes.

"Yeah. We work together sometimes. She and I hang out to gather and eat sweets when we get the chance." He said and Sophia became filled with joy but also sadness.

"She's okay....She's okay..." Sophia muttered and he gave her a small smirk.

"Cupcakes is just fine. She fit right in with the Shepherds. Though, she described to me that you had pink hair...huh..interesting." he held his chin in thought, "Oh, I'm Gaius by the way. Nice to meet you Nymph."

"Nymph? Really.....? Not you too!" Sophia turned back around as she threw her hands in the air in frustration while Henry began laughing.

"Nyahahahaha! That name is never going away! It suits you! You have many secrets like a Nymph and!" He made a wave motion with his hands, "I found you passed out near the ocean!"

"Aha!" Gaius snapped his fingers, "So Miss Water Nymph fits you better!"

"Oh, come on!"

The men were laughing while Tharja just grunted.

"Anyhow, why are you here?" Sophia sighs as she turns back to him.

"I hired him." Derick raised his hand, "Figured we need someone to help us trade information to help stop Grimleal and Gangrel. That's what you want to do." He says and Sophia was silent as she bit her lip and held her hands together.

Stopping Gangrel and Grimleal...no matter what she did, the actions still led to the future. Grima will come no matter what and try to destroy the future. But what about the others? She doesn't want the world to end. She already has learned negative things about herself that she is not happy about. Even then....she wants to live. Her actions here in Plegia have been to survive.

Now.....

"By the way, I got something for you." Gaius pulled out a small bundle of letters from his cloak and handed it to her, "Cupcakes misses you. A few others have also written letters even if they kind of don't know you. Guess they want to cheer you up." He smiled a bit.

Sophia stared at the bundle of letters and then held them to her chest, trying to fight off a smile.

"Wait here." She says and quickly runs to her room.

Once she got there, she saw Morgan was eating the food Ivy had made for him along with a nice set of blue colored pajamas. The boy was confused as she went to her closet and pulled out a bundle of letters. While she has been imprisoned in the Garden, she has been writing letters to Lysithea and a few others. It was a form of comfort to her. She quickly ran back to the library and handed it to Gaius.

"Please...make sure...they get them." A small smile came on her lips.

He smiled and he nodded as he put them away.

"Will do."

**\- Two Weeks Later -**

Sophia was a bit surprised to learn that there were at least another 20 rooms in the Garden. Their bedrooms. From what she learned from Derrick; the garden was built 2,000 years ago during the founding of Grimleal. Forneus dedicated the garden to his wife, as a form to show she lived on in his heart.

"Or he became a damn mad man and became obsessive about her." Sophia thought as her mentor was reading the history of the founding of Grimleal and the Fell Bloodline.

Honestly, she wanted to say she has nothing to do with this but unfortunately, she must learn. Morgan sat next to her, taking notes as her mentor started speaking about the formulas of the dark arts. Sophia managed to convince the Grimleal mage that the boy needs to learn if he is to properly “ _serve_ ” her. It's been two weeks since she saved Morgan. The boy is...well to say the most part, energetic? She had to stop him multiple times from bashing his head on the walls in hoping to regain his memories. He gets along well with Henry. The white-haired mage teaching him pranks and how to do all sorts of curses. With Derick, the man showed him how to properly wield a sword and treat the boy like a little brother. Though Tharja does not speak much, when he makes a mistake in creating hexes, she points it out. Morgan is wacky in his own way. There were already a few victims outside the garden that fell victim to his pit traps. Unfortunately, she ended up being one of them along with Aversa.

The boy has been practicing creating traps and one of them happened to be creating pit falls. He decided to try out the traps near the outside gates of the Garden. The walkway looked completely normal to everyone's eyes. Sophia had to meet the witch and the other Grimleal mages outside and as both were walking towards each other, then they suddenly screamed when they fell to the hole. Aversa's pit trap was filled with mud while Sophia's was filled with water. So, imagine how happy the boy looked when he cheered out the window and then realized he not only made one of the higher ups of Grimleal fall into his trap but also his teacher? That joy immediately turned to fear as he and many others watched the women crawl out of the pit traps looking like _The Grudge_.

_"Hoooo~ Boy! Sophia and Aversa looking like ghosts is a pretty sight! Nyhahaha!"_

Henry hid Morgan before the females got their hands on him. Sophia, despite being ready to send the boy to hell, made him come out, and with her hand on the back of his head, both bowed. She apologized on his behalf because she knew Aversa was going to punish him.

_"Control your slave! Not only did I end as a victim to his pranks, but you did too!"_

The doors to the castle slammed open and even her mentor's face turned to scowl because the sound interrupted their lesson. Sophia let go of a frustrated sigh as she told Morgan to wait for her and for her mentor to continue the lesson. The mage nodded and she excused herself. She put on her black veil and began walking down the hallway, but her steps became faster as she could hear shouting but also almost like a fight. She ran and made it to the balcony. She could see the guards surrounding someone, they had them on their knees, and Aversa's and Gangrel's smirks were wicked. Sophia was confused.

"Don't. You should go back." Henry said, unsure and Sophia just looked at him confused but still jumped down despite the protest from her friends.

"What is going on?" Sophia said coldly as she walked towards them.

"Ah." Gangrel smirked as he saw her coming, "So there you are, _witch_. I see you are as late as ever." Her eyes narrowed at him.

"What have you done again?" She said coldly and her chuckled.

"Do you recall how I said you will not be the only prisoner in this place anymore?" He says and she twitched, his grin only growing.

"............" Sophia was silent as her memory was stirred as Aversa smiled.

"Guards, move so our Hierophant can see her fellow companion." She grins.

The guards moved as Gangrel ordered, to allow Sophia to see. Once she got a clear view, Sophia's blood ran cold as she began shaking. The king noticed and began laughing as her eyes were glued onto the person in front of her. It felt like hands were suddenly on her neck, waiting to chock her.

_"Hierophant of Grima, I introduce you, the Exalt of Ylisse!"_

**Chapter 12: Changes of One's self**

**[-----------------]**

**Song of the Earth:**

**Original lyrics are written by me.**


	13. Black Grip Heart

**[WARNING: This chapter contains contents of torture, non-consensual touching, gore, and triggers. If you are triggered by any of these topics or are uncomfortable, do skip this chapter or scroll to skip the part. I will be putting a trigger warning once the scene starts and an END when the scene is over. Thank you for understanding.]**

**[-------]**

Sophia couldn't move as she remained seated on her bed. Her legs a bit spread out as she had her elbows propped on her thighs, her hands intertwined together as she rested her chin on her hands. The one person she was hoping to never meet in this world, was now a prisoner with her. And now living with her, under the same roof. Sophia knew at some point that Emmyren was going to be brought to Plegai but she never expected to be put in the same place as her. She let go of a sigh. Unfortunately, as much as she wishes she could avoid the woman, she can't. Reminding her, it was the hour where food was going to be brought.

"Crud." She bolted up and out of the room because she knew the food was poisoned.

She made it to the balcony and saw the exalt looking at the table of food, confused.

"Don't touch it." Sophia spoke and her voice echoed through the room.

Emmeryn jumped a bit and looked up, seeing Sophia for the first time without her veil. The black haired woman let go of a sigh as she walked down the stairs, speaking a bit.

"About half the food is poisoned. I'm sure as noble you understand what that means." Sophia's face was blank as her heels touched the tile floor, "Fools they are. Took a while to get used to but the methods they use are that of cowards."

"I see...." Emmeryn observed her a bit cautiously but spoke, "If I may, are you also one of power like King Gangrel?" She asked.

Sophia walked up the table of food, her hand glowed a bit green as she had it hover the various foods, to check which ones were poisoned and which ones were not. She found the peaches weren't, which is good. She picked two up and walked up to Emmyren. The two are around the same height, which was a good sign for Sophia. The training she has endured has forced her to adapt and her body to grow. She held out one to the woman, who smiled kindly and about to take it, but Sophia retraced her hand a bit.

"You're trusting, like the rumors says." Sophia muttered as Emmeryn looked at her a bit surprised, "My name is Sophia. I am the one that is called... _The Shadow Exalt_." She said that last part a bit coldly.

Emmyren's eyes widened a bit as he saw her eyes become cold at the title she was called. Yet, Emmeryn closed her eyes and smiled softly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Sophia. I am Emmeryn, Exalt of Ylisse." Emmeryn said warmly and Sophia was a bit caught off by her kind tone.

Sophia handed back the peach and spoke, desperately trying to stop the tint of pink on her cheeks.

"I checked the food. The peaches are safe to eat along with wheat bread, duck meat, and cheese. The rest, don't. It's poisoned." Sophia muttered and gave it to her, then quickly walked away, towards the kitchen.

"Interesting..." Emmeryn muttered a bit, "She reminds me a bit of Lissa for some reason."

**[------]**

Sophia paced back and forth in the kitchen, where she caught Morgan trying to sneak into the food pantry again. The boy looked at his teacher confused as she kept walking back and forth, the blush she was desperately trying to hold back. The Exalt's smile made her feel warm, which was rare.

"Teacher, is everything alright?" Morgan says as he takes a step back, hoping to escape.

"I'm fine. Just um....we're out of mint tea if that was what you were after." She sighs and goes to sit down at the table, resting her head on it.

Morgan was a bit confused but decided not to pry on the subject. He saw how conflicted his teacher became when it was revealed that the Exalt was the one imprisoned here with her. Still, the name Emmeryn sounded familiar.

**[-----]**

"She is almost ready." Aversa muttered as she sat in her room.

The place was decorated with lavish silks of red, gray and black. The heavy scent of essence along with a giant mirror with a table full of makeup and perfumes. Yet, Avera only closed the book she was reading regarding the dark arts. She had received a letter earlier today regarding the ritual. Honestly, a sense of insecurity was nagging her, but it didn't matter. They have already prepared The Hierophant for _The Day of Darkness_. Her magic took on the dark shapes that are required for the ritual. Along with the women and children that have been collected, the ritual just needs one more thing.

"My lady." A female mage came into the room, holding what seemed to be a lamp.

Yet the lamp looked more like a flower bud that has yet to bloom.

"We have tried once more to make it bloom but no result. However, we did as you instructed. It had a reaction to the sample of The Hierophant's magic. We also believe it may be connected to the tome that Lord Validar allowed that mage to take." The woman said and Aversa smiled.

"Unfortunately, that mage has disappeared but as long as we have the lamp, it should be fine." She stood up and walked towards the mage, "Has the temple been located?"

"It has. Our mages have been deciphering the ancient Loptyrian texts on the stones. However, we have run into a problem." The female said.

"And what would that be?" Aversa narrowed her eyes.

" _Sacrifices._ The ritual requires sacrifices along with the one casting the spell to summon the Deadlords to be contaminated. The Hierophant may have a strong bloodline, but they do not possess Fell Blood. As much as they hate to say this, the ritual will not be successful unless the Hierophant is corrupted." The mage said, concerned.

"That will not be a problem." Aversa's smile only grew.

"May I ask why, my lady?" The mage blinked.

Aversa smiled as she looked over to the letter she received. Her grin had become wicked as she spoke.

"Our Lord's **[-----]** shall be prepared for the ceremony. Just a little longer and it will take place." Aversa grinned cruelly.

"Is that why the Exalt was placed with her?" The mage asked and Aversa scoffed.

"It will be quite beautifully sight really." Aversa smiled as she walked towards her mirror, "The Exalt and Hierophant become friends and then the Hierophant is taken away. When the Exalt meets her again, the shock of seeing the state the Hierophant is left in will shake her to the core. I think our little shadow won't even recognize her." She chuckled.

"Anyhow," Aversa turned back to her, "continue deciphering those ancient texts."

**[-------]**

Again, it was a bit awkward when Sophia walked back out but let go a sigh of relief when she saw Emmeryn wasn't in the ballroom anymore. She headed back to her room but as she walked down the hallway, she could hear the faint voices of talking in the library.

"Oh! And this is a book about King Eliwood! Oh! Here is another about the mythical kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr." It was Morgan but who was he talking to?

"You love reading books, don't you?" It was Emmyren's voice.

"I do! Teacher loves books also!" Morgan grins as he sits down across from her, "She's shown me her collection of books she brought from her home. Most of them are about medicines I didn't know were possible! Oh! And about diseases and sicknesses that I never knew existed! Ah! I think my favorite book from her collection is about these two kids who discover they are the host of two different gods, and they are trying to stop the evil God from building this red triangular temple. _The Red Pyramid_ is called." He says excitedly.

"The books sounds interesting." Emmeryn smiled warmly, "By the way you speak, you enjoyed it a lot."

"Well, not exactly." Morgan rubbed the back of his neck, "The book was written in my teacher's language. But she translated for me. When we have free time, she would read the book out loud, reading what it says. Henry and Derick would come and listen along with Tharja. Though Tharja found the book interesting because of the spells that are created by the two kids." He explained as he sat down across from her.

"When I was your age, I would read the books to my younger siblings." Emmeryn smiled softly as she began to reminisce memories from years ago, "When they couldn't sleep, at times I would let them sleep with me in my room. I would read them a bedtime story to help them." She muttered.

"Really?" Morgan muttered as she nodded.

"Yes. That was during a time when…things were calming. My little sister, her name is Lissa, she likes to play pranks on our brother but also his retainer. Ufu~ I recall the time she put frogs in my brother's boots. He woke up screaming." She chuckled.

"Whoa! Your sister sounds amazing! I like making pitfalls!" Morgan grins.

"Yes, and that resulted in me and the hag falling into them."

Morgan began sweating a lot when he saw Sophia come in holding a book to her chest. There was still a bit of irritation on her face since he brought up the subject of the pit traps. Sophia let go of a sigh as she looked over to the older woman, who studied her a bit.

"Morgan, could you leave us alone?" Sophia says and the boy nodded but looked at them confused.

The boy left, closing the door, leaving the two alone. There was silence as Sophia went to sit down across the woman. There was an awkward silence. Honestly, Sophia didn't know what to say. The first thing she had in mind was maybe chat but that went out of the bag.

"I...Sigh....I'm sorry." Sophia muttered and the exalt looked at her surprised.

"Why are you apologizing?" Emmyren looked at her surprised.

"You...The most I can do right now is apologize on the behalf of myself and those that are innocent. Lady Emmyren, you know you were brought here to be executed, correct?" She muttered and Emmeryn smiled sadly.

"I know. I was made aware of it the first day I arrived here. At the same time, it is understandable." The Exalt muttered, "As I was held in the carriage, I was able to see a bit of the capital. The people....The place was filled with resentment, anger but also sorrow."

"You can sense the energy of the land?" Sophia asked, curious.

"Yes. As someone who uses light magic, the user becomes more in sync with the energy of the land. We soon reach a state where we can sense emotions." Emmyren explained, "I can sense the emotions of others here however, with you, it seems almost as if our magic is canceling out. I cannot sense what you feel. Perhaps that is a good thing..." she muttered.

"Perhaps." Sophia muttered, "Tell me, aren't you afraid?" She propped her elbow on the table, resting her cheek on her fist, "You've been brought to a country filled with people who want your head on a silver platter. You have till most likely next month to live. Even more, you have been put here with me, someone who could easily kill you if they want." Her hands were planted firm on the table as she sat up, her eyes void, "Why aren't you afraid, Exalt Emmeryn of House Ylisse?"

Emmeryn was silent for a moment and spoke.

"Do you want to kill me?"

Sophia was silent as her eyes widened slightly and spoke.

"No. I don't." She answered, "But do answer my question."

"......I am afraid." Emmyren muttered, "I wish there was a way to resolve the conflict peacefully but what King Gangrel said was not a lie." Her eyes filled with sorrow, "Even though 15 years have passed since the First Plegain and Ylissean War, many of the aftereffects still remain. Perhaps resentment is understandable, I do not blame the people for their anger towards me and my people. They have the right to be angry." She explained.

"But aren't you angry that your own people took out their anger and resent towards you when you were just a child?" Sophia asked and Emmeryn smiled a bit sadly.

"Their anger is understandable. They believed I was going to be like the previous Exalt, my father. I couldn't do anything in the past....I could only watch as my father waged war. So many people were affected, on both sides. Children losing their parents, people starving, the land ravaged by war, lost its life. In the end..." she sighs a bit, "I was able to finally achieve what many wanted. Our soldiers will return home, the war is over."

"But there was still resentment. Do you yourself does not feel anger towards your own people or even to those here in Plegia?" Sophia pressed on.

"........Perhaps I do. But anger and resentment, revenge, it gives your power. But the consequences for that power are far worse." Emmyren said as the two looked at each directly in the eyes.

"............" Sophia closed her eyes as she sat down, propping her elbow on the table, using her hand to cover her eyes.

Emmyren worried she may have upset the woman, but Sophia muttered.

".......Anger and resentment....are what has kept me alive....I only want to live." Sophia's voice was almost a whisper as she continued, "I can never....forgive those that have hurt me. I have kept holding onto that anger to this day. It's kept me alive...yet..." she bit her lip, "Look at me now.....a coward now speaking to you...the one person I never wanted to be tangled with." Her voice quivered a bit.

Emmeryn was silent as she patiently listened.

"I hate it.....I hate it....I never wanted this. I never wanted to be...The Saint of Archanea...I never wanted to be called The Shadow Exalt...I just...wanted to live a quiet life, helping people. I'm a doctor...not a prophet. I save lives...yet now I've taken lives to survive." She took a deep breath.

".....I can never understand how you are able to forgive those that have hurt you and your family. Even your own father that has caused you and your siblings’ pain. I just...haha...I just don't understand...how you have been able to move on. I see you more human...Compared to me...Fuck.." she cursed out loud, "I don't understand...I don't understand..." she crossed her arms on the table, burying her face in them.

"Are you afraid?" Emmyren asked, now reversing the question to the women in front of her.

"I am..." Sophia's voice was muffled as she spoke, "I think I understand a bit now...the pressure you suffer as ruler. People have expectations. The lives of your country....the burden on your shoulders. I have been doing what I can to help the people. Put on a pedestal I never wanted yet I can't bring myself to turn my back on them." She sighs.

"The people of Plegia...took me in. They didn't exactly welcome me with open arms, but I learned to interact with the people. I met and created new bonds." She raised her head, now looking at her hands, "I met people who I now consider family. I was able to grow because of my time traveling. Yet....." she stared at her own hands, "I still want...to live a quiet life. Does that make me selfish?"

"Yes, it does." Emmyren answered.

Sophia grumbled bitterly.

_"But that is what makes you human."_

Sophia slowly looked up to the Exalt, her eyes going wide.

"The burdens we carry. The emotions we hold. The bonds we create. If we did not exist with them, I do not believe we would be human at all. You have done what you can. You, even despite wanting to live the way you want, you still wish to see those you care to be safe. Despite the cold demeanor you put on, you greatly care about them. After all, the events we experience in our lives shape us to who we are today." Emmeryn smiled softly as memories of the past resurfaced.

"I may not know your story but, you must have faced many hardships. And because of them, you are still standing. It is alright to be selfish. To have wishes and desires of your own. That choice is yours to make." Emmeryn smiled softly to her.

Sophia closed her eyes once more as she began to think back to her experiences these past few months. How she ended up here, how she met Henry. How she met Ahura, Dana and Mustafa. Her first encounter with Lysithea. Traveling and meeting Anna. Witnessing the Ferox Tournament. Meeting Felix, Khan Basilio, and Lon'qu. Meeting the Shepherds, Derick, Tharja, and Morgan. Even the horrible experiences of being put into Grimleal. If she didn't, she wouldn't have learned more about the history of the land. Each new experience shaped her, whether it was good or bad.

"Oh my..." Emmeryn thought as she saw the black fog that surrounded Sophia somewhat cleared up.

Sophia opened her eyes and smiled softly as a single tear fell from her right eye. Perhaps it was something she needed to hear. That she can be selfish.

"Human.....Perhaps...I needed to hear that." Sophia sighed a bit and looked back to her, "Thank you."

"It is no problem." Emmyren said, "I must admit, I am worried. I already know that most likely my family and friends are on their way to come and try to save me. But more conflict will ensue. There life is worth more than mine." She sighs a bit.

"And that's where you are wrong."

"Pardon?" Emmyren blinks multiple times as Sophia shook her head.

"I used to think the same before I came to this country." Sophia muttered, "Its natural to think that someone's life has more value because of how much you love them. Especially when it comes to family. However....." her thoughts wandered to the times her siblings and cousin would tell her that she needed to take care of herself, "If you keep having that mind set, eventually those around you will keep reminding you that you yourself also are valuable." She says.

Sophia let go of a sigh.

"So, you wish to keep dying and dying, as if you are starting over. Are you really going to make everyone cry around you? That only you need to be the one to suffer? Deciding that you are the only one that needs to suffer...it is also seen as cowardly." She looked over to the Exalt, who was silent.

"Are you saying that I am playing hero?" Emmyren asked, the frown on her face deepened.

"You suffered anger and resentment from your people. Yet you pulled through. You still walk with your head held high, but you chose to carry the burden alone." She crossed her arms and looked up the ceiling, "I'm still a loner. That admit. I don't love myself, but I only recently chosen to open up to others. Yes, at times I feel alone, like I am alone in this cruel world. But I know the world does not revolve around myself. Let's see..." she looked back to the Exalt, "How do you view yourself?"

"How do I view myself?" Emmyren muttered, "The exalt is a symbol of peace. Ylisse’s most prized quality."

"Do you only view yourself as the Exalt, the symbol of peace?" Sophia asked.

"In a way I do...but...I also see myself as----"

"Stop."

Sophia raised her hand to make the woman halt her talking.

"Okay, this is where now I am the one to lecture you. Take this as a thank you for you giving me the lecture I needed." Sophia says a bit coldly, "You were betrayed by the Hierarchy that you have known for years. You let yourself be captured as a way also to show that you refuse to abandon your people. Nothing wrong with that, however..." she narrowed her eyes a bit, "you view your life less if it means your family and people live. In the words of an author from a book a I read, " _Why have you not realized that you should also be included in those you wish to save?"_ Sophia said a bit bitterly.

".........I do not want to die." Emmyren said as she gritted her teeth, "But....I love my siblings as if they were my own children. When we lost our father and mother, I swore I would protect them. Haha...They probably thought of me as an unreliable mother." She chuckled a bit sadly.

"I can relate to that." Sophia sighs, "I didn't grow up with a good mother figure. So, I took on the burden of taking care of siblings. In the end, perhaps like yourself, I did view them more as my own children." She muttered.

"As the Exalt of protecting Ylisse, I harbor those same feelings. I think of the people of Ylisse and other people from different countries as my family. I adore them just as I adore my siblings, I want to cherish all the people as if they were my own children. That is how I live." Emmyren answered as Sophia stared at her for a bit.

"It does not matter what happens to me, as long as I continue loving. Rather if I can, die to protect Chrom, Lissa, the people of Ylisse, and the people I do not know. That is my choice and my greatest choice as a mother." Emmyren said as she looked her in the eye.

_That was it_. That was her answer. Sophia let go of sigh as she looked up the ceiling.

"..........You....I really hate you and I are similar in some ways." Sophia said as she stood up to leave, "But..." she looked up to the older woman, a soft smile on her lips, "I respect your bravery. Not many people...would be willing to give up their lives to protect what they love. They will give up their life to protect a nation, but would they give up their life if it meant protecting the one, they love?" She walked towards the door and stopped, turning towards her a bit, "My door to my room is open if you wish to talk or learn anything about the conditions of Plegia. As for Phila, she's safe. I asked my retainer to keep an eye on her to make sure Gangrel's soldiers don't do anything to her." And with that she left.

**[--------]**

The underground dungeons of Plegia were built to hold criminals and war prisoners. To make sure they suffered and could never get out. At times, their lives were made into living nightmares on purpose by the guards. That was 40 years ago. Still, while harassment and such are still there, it isn't taken to an extreme anymore. General Heriot was put in charge of the prison and since then, it has somewhat improved. Currently, Phila was in a cell, and unfortunately....

"Hrgh!" The woman vomited quickly at the food she was given, her face pale as she released it was poisoned.

"Haha!" She glared at the one responsible that laughed in joy, "So it finally took effect. Well, good luck Ylisse scum. Hope yo----!!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The one responsible whipped around quickly and moved away to reveal the withering in pain Phila. Derrick quickly ran to the cell and opened it, quickly dropping to his knees to check the woman's pulse.

"What? All I did was teach her a lesson?" They said and he glared furiously at the responsible one.

"Get out Arca! Get out! I will be reporting this to General Mustufa and my father!" He roared at her while he patted a bit forcefully the woman's back to make her vomit.

"Oh, come on! Why are you defending a Ylisse toy?" Arca glared and he stood up, raising his left hand, his nails growing long.

The woman suddenly gawked away and muttered curses as she ran. He let go of a sigh and ordered another guard to bring a bowl of water. He carefully picked up Phila and made her sit on the bench.

"Glad you made yourself vomit." He commented as he removed her glove from her left hand, "If you ingested, you wouldn't be alive right now." The guard came in and placed the bowl of water next to her on the bench.

"You." He pointed to the other female guard, "Report to my father what Arca has done. What the hell have I said about torturing the prisoners?" He snarled and the guards quickly went to do what he instructed.

Phila stared at him confused, since she couldn't move much. The man took out a small pocket kit with needles and pricked her fingers, allowing blood to fall. With that done, he placed her hand in the water bowl.

"Why are you helping me?" She whispered as he was preparing a syringe with an antidote.

He stopped and stared at her for a moment before he took her arm and injected the medicine.

"I have orders from my Lady to keep you safe. And do not worry, The Exalt is also safe. We've been keeping an eye on her." He said calmly and turned as he heard footsteps approaching.

"Father..." he muttered and General Heriot shook his head as the boy stood up, finished with his treatment.

"Arca did a number, didn't she?" General Heriot said as the man walked out of the cell and closed the door, locking it.

"She did." Derrick muttered as gave one final glance to the woman and left, following the general.

Once they were gone, Phila saw the guards leave to return to their post. She was silent as she opens and closed her left hand, the antidote worked its effects immediately. She was confused. Even more so when the man had secretly snuck her a red gem necklace. Phila stared at it for a moment but let go of a sigh before she out it on. She did consider it was possible that the man was a double agent but one of the generals of Plegia came down...

"What is going on?" She muttered.

**[------]**

"That bitch!" Derick slammed closed his trunk in his former room, and had another guard take it to the garden, where it will stay.

"So, the woman took a variety of your poisons?" General Heriot hummed from outside the door as his adopted son let go of a frustrated sigh.

"At this point, it doesn't surprise me that she is the one that has been trying to poison Lady Sophia. Most likely either by her own will or King Gangrel." He says as he runs his finger through his hair, licking his lips a bit.

"Hmm." The general hummed as the man walked out of the room and then went towards the general's office.

"You've changed." The man commented as he went behind his desk.

"Whether good or bad. Take your pick." Derrick says and the general looks out the window in silence.

"Perhaps good." He turned to him with a frown, "Perhaps you have become soft." He says.

"Soft?" Derick chuckled darkly, "You know very well I only become serious when I need to."

"That may be so, but we are at war. And in war, we cannot show mercy to our enemies." He says and Derick just snorted.

"Yeah. Like you are one to talk. You should have told your king that his war will kill us all." He says.

"So, you are saying I should have spoken back to King Gangrel?" General Heriot looked back to the window, "You do realize he would have made an example of the citizens or me?"

"Oh, so now you care about the citizens." Derick muttered and the older man twitched.

"What was that?" General Heriot muttered, a slight edge in his voice.

"You didn't speak up to him when he made an example of Phar Village 4 years ago." Derick looked at him coldly, "How the villagers screamed and begged for him to spare the chief and his family. They only spoke the truth that Mad King is failing his country. Everyone in the village was slathered. They were made examples. You just stood there and watched." His tone was void of emotions.

**SLAP!**

Derrick's left cheek was slapped, his head forcefully moved to the right, yet all he did was narrow his eyes as the man was now in front him.

"Do not speak of that day." General Heriot growled furiously, his nostrils flaring.

All Derick could do was smirk as he turned to walk away. He stopped at the door, tilting his head back to the man he calls father.

"You may be a general, but you have no respect from me. I don't respect those who are too afraid to speak out." He says and leaves, the door slamming shut.

"Boy....if only you knew why..."

**[------]**

The days turned to weeks as time passed. Even if doom were to come, the most Sophia wanted to do was help Emmyren at least feel comfortable. It was strange speaking to the woman. The aura around the woman was kind, warm. Sophia didn't want to admit it, but she was jealous. The two women were similar yet very different in a variety of ways. But Sophia wasn't jealous of Emmyren's beauty or experience in light magic. No, Emmeryn has what Sophia wished she could be, _kind_. Sophia never once considered herself a kind person. While many have told her that her actions speak louder than words, Sophia just doesn't see herself in that circle. The word " _kind_ " was never used on her. That's why it still comes as a shock to her whenever she is called that. Henry has asked her if she sees herself as something less than human. Alm's words from a few months ago came ringing back to her mind one night as she was busy filling documents that would settle on the proper budget.

"It is interesting." Emmyren spoke as she could read a few of the documents, "These numbers and calculations. As well as how much medicine is to be distributed. A budget was made for medical and food supplies. Hehe. It is how the royals work." She chuckles a bit as Sophia sighed.

"I'm no royal but I used to do this back in my clinic in my homeland. I had to make sure the medical bills were being paid, that the proper supplies and shipments come in. How much the product cost and how much was needed. The budget that I had to follow as well has keeping track of my appointments." Sophia let go of a tried sigh as she went back to her paperwork.

During these past weeks, Sophia and Emmyren have gotten to know each other better. Honestly, the way Morgan sees it, if the two weren't royals and lived normal lives, they could have been good friends. The two women would talk about politics, how their countries were run and surprisingly give each other advice. Sophia felt it was a nice change of pace to be able to talk to someone about politics without it turning into a screaming match. Yes, the two women had their ups and down. They did have their disagreements like for example, when Sophia brought up the idea of what if another country suddenly chose to invade. Her way of hinting that Valm was coming in 2 years. While yes, Emmyren said she would try to speak negotiations with them. Sophia said their actions were declarations of war. Not also mention that she reminded Emmeryn that Ylisse did not have a military fleet or army. Soldiers weren't trained for such invasions. Emmyren fired back her ideals of peace and spoke of her experience growing up during the years of the Plegai-Ylisse war. How she saw her people suffer, lands destroyed, anger on both sides. When her parents passed away, how she ascended the throne. Bearing the anger of her people and such. They had their disagreements but at least they did come to the conclusion that if war really is unavoidable, they would have to prepare to fight.

Sophia spoke a bit of how the political system is run in her old world while Emmeryn also spoke about how things were run in Ylisse. Both, suggesting ways that the systems could be improved. Honestly, Emmeryn loved the idea of being able to expand education to commoners also. Allowing opportunities to them and allow new potentials and talents to bloom. Sophia spoke of the education of her world as well as the different healthcare systems that existed. A way to help the people. Emmeryn understood that while one system may work well in one country, it may not work in another. Again, both spoke and suggested ideas and ways that could be done to create a system that could help everyone. For once, it felt refreshing for both. Emmeryn having the perspective of someone who is not a noble as well as also listening about what was going on outside of Ylisse. For Sophia, finally someone she can talk properly to about politics and the government without it turning to a screaming match. As for Philla, Sophia has been making sure that she has been kept safe. When she learned what Arca did, Tharja and Henry had to hold back once again from going to go kill the woman. Thanks to Derick's connections, Arca has been forbidden from entering the prisons, much to the woman's dismay.

"Hmm...In Ylisse, we have a Magic Research department in the Magic Academy. From what I learned in my history lessons; it was founded during the final years of King Marth. Hmm...If I may ask, you and I have discussed much." Emmyren said as Sophia looked back up to her a bit, "While yes, we have similar views, and I admit, I like speaking to you. Usually, when politics get involved, especially in council in Ylisse, things tend to get _heated_." She says with a bit of a strain smile.

"That I understand. To be honest, it's honestly nice having a civil conversation with someone than a screaming match." Sophia gave her a small smile as she continued to write.

"What is your homeland like?" Emmyren asked and Sophia propped her elbow on the table, resting her cheek on it.

"Hmmm......Now that I think about it, I rarely do talk about my home..." Sophia sighs a bit as her eyes become a bit dazed.

"Well....I guess I could say it's a bit boring. Not many adventures things." She muttered, "I didn't exactly have the best childhood but in a way...those events allowed me to become productive and survive. My home...let's see. Magic does not exist. We use human strength to achieve our goals." She said.

"A country able to run with no magic?" Emmyren looked at her shocked, "That is very impressive! Somehow, I feel if Miriel were here, she would be asking you many questions." She chuckled a bit.

"Probably." Sophia smiled a bit, "Ah. Now that I think about it, during this time of year in different parts of my country and others, we celebrate mid-autumn with a festival. We make these delicious pastries called mooncakes." Okay, now she was trying to keep herself from drooling at the thought of those delicious sweets.

"What do you do in such a festival?" Emmeryn asked, curious.

"Well, for starters, mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy. It is offered between friends and family gatherings. While I was not born into the culture that the tradition originated from, I would celebrate the mid-autumn festival with my friends. The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching. We would gather to watch the moon on those nights, eating mooncakes of our flavors with tea or a type of alcohol called sake. Oh! Nuts and varies along with fruits and different snacks are brought to the gatherings. Essences are lit to worship the moon." Sophia sighs blissfully at the memory when she would celebrate with her father and grandparents.

"It is like the Winter Festival. In Ferox and Ylisse, we celebrate winter with a festival. Like you describe, we also friends and family gathered. Bringing a variety of foods to share." Emmeryn smiled fondly at her childhood memories before the Plegia-Ylisse war.

"My father...was a strict man. But my mother loved baking sweets. Even though the servants kept insisting they bake them. Our mother wasn't a very good cook, but she still enjoyed being in the kitchen at times." Emmyren muttered as Sophia nodded.

"I would sometimes get kicked out of the kitchen by my grandmother." Sophia snickered, "I would sneak bites from the chocolate fillings and grab some walnuts from the bowls. When I was caught, she would scold me, but I started running away, cackling. My father and grandfather would shake their heads but when my grandmother wasn't looking, they would sneak me hard candy." She grins.

"Your home, you speak of it so fondly." Emmyren said and Sophia smiled a bit sadly, turning her head a bit to look out the window.

"I miss it. My home. I didn't come to Archanea by choice. I only recently learned that I was forcefully brought here. The sad thing about it...." her eyes became half lidded, "The path to my home, I can never return." She turned to her, "I had to learn to adapt to this world."

"I am sorry." Emmyren lowered her head a bit, "You must miss it, don't you?"

"I'm not going to lie. I do miss it. I had clinic where I would help save others. I had a family member who I was close to. My life...I guess the cycle of it repeated. I wake early every day to prepare myself, got to my clinic, check my list of clients and so on. While it does sound boring, I did love the field of work. I'm surgeon. I save lives." She said and Emmyren nodded.

"I remember the question you asked me weeks ago." Emmeryn muttered as they stood up to put the papers away, "When you asked me why I am not afraid."

Sophia put the papers away as Emmeryn picked up the tray that had the empty cups of tea.

"I do not wish to die. I am afraid. If there was a way to prevent it, I wish it was possible. But seeing the outcome of things....sigh...it's no use in wallowing in " _what if_?". Speaking to you, I was able to learn more of the different perspectives. Thank you." Emmeryn smiled softly as the two left the office to walk down the hallways.

"Same to you. I think what we both needed were different perspectives." Sophia smiles as the two were on the verge of reaching her room, "Also, thank you."

Unfortunately, sweet moments don't last forever.

It happened out of nowhere. Black magic circle appeared underneath them. Multiple hands of shadows came out and grabbed their legs. Emmyren's scream alerted everyone the building. Morgan was the first to come out and tried to use his magic to get them out, as the hands dragged them down. Tharja and Henry did the same and Derick managed to get a hold of Emmyren's hand, trying to pull her out.

"I got you!" The trio yelled as they tried to pull the women out, Emmyren holding tightly onto Sophia's wrist and Sophia doing the same.

The shadows were becoming stronger, draining their energy. At the rate it was going, both the women and the trio would be sucked in. Sophia gritted her teeth as her eyes met Emmeryn's, the Exalt's eyes going wide.

"No don't!" Emmyren yelled as she recognized the look.

Sophia smiled softly and used the last bit of her magic to push Emmeryn out. The last things Sophia saw was Emmyren screaming. The black hands wrapping all around Sophia as they dragged her down to the Abyss.

**[--------]**

Perhaps hours have passed. She didn't know. The world was black all around her. She heard a small rattle of chains. Her mind was groggy as well as her body. But she could feel herself suspended in the air. Her arms and legs were chained. There was a blindfold covering her eyes. There was a faint scent of water, as well as dirt. Sophia frowned as she tried to move but only heard the chains rattled. Then she heard it. Footsteps. Small and light, a woman they longed to.

"You are awake." A male voice spoke instead but Sophia knew better.

"You're a woman...but using magic to hide your voice." Sophia says and they snorted.

"Even blindfolded you were able to tell I'm not a man." The footsteps stopped a few feet from her, "Welcome Hierophant of Our Lord. I cannot say my name, but I have brought you here for _...preparation_." they smiled wickedly.

"Your voice...despite being a males....I know it..." Sophia thought as she heard them rummage through something.

"Now let us...."

**[TRIGGER WARNING: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. PROCEED WITH CAUTION]**

STAB!

If Sophia didn't have the blindfold, the woman would have seen how her eyes went wide, a small trickle of blood coming from her lips. The pain wasn't right away. It was out of instinct that Sophia looked down, even if she couldn't see anything. Yet, she knew what was there. The hard and cool feeling of metal that forcefully penetrated the skin of her stomach.

"AHHHH!" The woman smiled as she saw Sophia finally registered that she was stabbed.

The woman raised her hand, keeping the sword in its place as she grabbed another. The pain there felt unlike anything before. Sophia wheezed and gritted her teeth as she felt her skin throb, almost bruising. Another sword was stabbed and again, Sophia screamed. The woman chuckled as her eyes watched the crimson blood drip onto the stone floor. Sophia raised her head a bit, gritting her teeth as the woman caressed her cheek.

"How I wish I could remove this blindfold, but it would ruin the fun." He leaned in a bit closer, enjoying how the woman became tense as her lips brushed the exposed part of her neck, "I'm going to enjoy having fun with you."

"AAGGGHHH!" The woman suddenly stabbed a dagger into her ribs, slowly twisting it.

The sick sound of the sword twisting made her skin burn. She could feel the blade cutting, blood dripping out as her voice cracked. The woman chuckled as this time she went behind her, this time stabbing another dagger into her right shoulder blade. Again, twisting the blade again as Sophia felt it plunged deeper into her skin. She could feel the sticky feeling of blood dripping.

_It hurt._

_It hurt so much._

Another blade stabbed into her left shoulder this time; the process repeated 27 more times. Small daggers and needles plunged into her skin. The pain became 10-fold as the woman used some sort of spell to make her nerves become even more sensitive. The blood curdling screams that left her throat made her throat burn. It didn't help that the metallic taste of iron plagued her tongue. The woman only smiled in bliss as the cycle of blades stabbed kept repeating for hours. Over and over, Sophia's voice was hoarse. Almost as if she closed her own throat. The woman chuckled as she twisted and pulled out the blade and needles, one by one, slowly and painfully, letting the blood drip slowly. It was like Sophia was dipped in a pond of blood. Her clothing had holes from the wounds stabbed, she was barely conscious.

"Hmmmm.....It's been..17 hours since I have brought you here." The woman chuckled as she pulled out the last blade from Sophia's stomach, "I can't exactly leave you with scars on your delicate skin. That's a no, no." She wagged her finger a bit.

The blood that poured out to the stone floor, rose up in the air like droplets of water, re-entering the wounds that were closing slowly. The flesh healed, not a single scar on it. Yet.....

"Now time for this part."

A prick it felt a first, but Sophia could barely manage a scream as she felt her veins become tense and felt like they were on fire. She felt five needle pricks, one each of her arms, and legs and one on the center of her chest.

"Aarghh....Arrrghh!!" Sophia threw her head back, her back arching the woman saw black veins spreading around her body. Small little cracks could be heard as Sophia wheezed and screamed as the veins kept spreading like tree roots. Her mind went black as her body went limp, the veins still spreading like a wildfire.

"You survived!" The woman laughed joyfully as she clapped her hands together, "We shall continue this tomorrow. For now, I shall let you rest." She gently touched her face, her hand tracing her lips.

**[----]**

The next day, once more the cycle was repeated. This time instead of blades, it was magic.

"Aaahhhhh!!" Sophia screamed as she felt hot flames over thighs, burning the flesh as the sick scent made her nostrils burn.

The woman hummed a tune, still using a male voice to hide her real one, slowly running the flames up and down her back. The woman used magic to make sure Sophia's hair was not burned. But once her back was full of burn marks, the woman dug her nails deep as she dragged them down, as if she was screeching her nails on a chalkboard. It was like body claw marks were left as Sophia screamed. The spell to heighten her senses was used again. The woman hummed a tune as she removed her hand and then suddenly slashed Sophia's back like a beast. The screams and sobs made her throat burn. She wanted to vomit. She wanted it to be gone. This pain was unlike anything before.

_I want it to stop._

_I want it to go away._

_It hurts._

_It hurts._

The darkness that covered eyes. She could not see anything. She could not see what was being done to her. She could only feel as she was used like a training dummy. Magic blasted at her body. Aiming all over. Her clothing that was turned or destroyed, was sewed, and fixed back onto her. The cold hands would be her shoulders, like a gentle touch, then suddenly, the nails would RIP into her skin. Again, her wounds were healed, the blood that she spilled returned to her body. Not a single scar presents on the skin. Like if nothing was ever done to her. Soft kisses one her neck and then they would bite, leaking small drops of blood flow that they would lap up with their tongue, then heal it. The woman walked over to a table where she has a different variety of tools, yet she picked up five syringes with some sort of crimson liquid in them.

"Cough! Gasp....gasp...gasp..." Sophia's lung felt as if they were filled with smoke, her throat burned to the point her voice was almost gone.

It felt like muddy water was forcefully shoved down her throat every time she coughed out blood.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Her voice goes, still did not her screams of agony as the needles injected their poison.

Her body once more felt like it was on a fire as the black veins reappear once more. Taking root all over her body as if they were tree roots growing in the soil. Slow and painful, the small pops could be heard. The white of her eyes became red because the extreme pain caused her blood vessels to pop. She cried bloody tears as the veins took root for what seemed like hours. But it was once five minutes. The woman hummed as she once more used healing magic to make the pain go away, making sure not a single scar remained on her delicate skin.

"I shall be back tomorrow." The woman smiled as she caressed her cheek, "It is time to take more extreme measures."

**[-------]**

_It hurts._

_Make it stop._

_Make it go away._

_I need to stop._

_It needs to stop._

_The pain._

_I need to go away._

_Survive._

**_I need to survive._ **

**[-----]**

The woman frowned as only whimpers left Sophia's lips as she ripped out her nails using metal tweezers with blades. She watched the woman whine as a finger was cut off from her right hand. The blood pooling once more. Another finger was cut and then a lighting spell was used to electrocute the woman. Only a silent scream left her throat because it felt like it was melting. The sticking sound of another finger was cut but this time her toes. The woman clicked her teeth as she used magic to reattach the fingers and then heal. The blood that was lost returned to Sophia's body.

"You are not screaming anymore." The woman sighs but smirked softly as she embraced Sophia from behind, like a lover, "A pity. Darling, I hate doing this do you, but it will soon be over. You can last another 4 days, right? Of course, you can. You are m- _ahem_. Lord Grima's _**[---]**_ after all."

She let go of her and walked around, this time now injecting 6 needles into her. It was a beautiful sight seeing the black veins spread around her body. Like delicate black ivy that was growing to survive. Sophia began twitching and trembling as saliva dripped from her mouth. The gurgling and choking sounds left her lips only. The woman smiled as she saw the veins go away once more and her smile grew even more when she saw the faint outline of a mark on Sophia's left hand.

"Very interesting. Your body is forcing itself to adapt. While it is rejecting it, it is being forced to accept. The only thing that will make this go wrong is if you enter a magic comatose." The woman hummed as she saw Sophia slumped.

"Hmmm....I'll let ypu go early today. I think just injecting you small amounts should do. Usually about 5 millimeters I inject into your everyday day. Even after you fall asleep." She laughs a bit and walks away, leaving Sophia alone.

**[----]**

_It's dark..._

_I want the sun...._

_Light...._

_It's so cold._

_I hate the cold._

**_I want to be warm..._ **

**[------]**

No screams. No whimpers. No whines. Nothing. The woman grew frustrated as not a single sound left Sophia's lips as she whipped her back multiple times. The leather cutting the skin, the blood pooling.

"Scream!" The woman's male voice roared as she took out her time, a fire circle on the verge of surrounding Sophia till a hand covered in gold and metallic blue was on her shoulder.

The woman turned furiously to the one and glared.

"She is not screaming. You dare stop me?!" She roared at them.

"........." there was only silence as their eyes stared at her through the face armor they wore.

The woman clicked her teeth, closing her tome. The one that stopped her walked away in silence. The metal clink of his boots echoed as they gave one last look to Sophia before disappearing.

**[----]**

_It hurts._

_It hurts._

_It hurts._

_Iron._

_I can smell it._

_It hurts._

_It hurts._

_They laugh._

_They laugh._

_Shut._

_I need to shut down._

_I need to stop._

_I need to stop feeling._

_Ah..._

_It's gone._

_Gone._

_Gone._

_Fingers cut._

_Then reattach._

_I don't feel it._

_I just know it's what they did._

_Sword stabbed in stomach._

_Pulled out._

_Wound healed._

_It's like a pinch._

_Back slashed._

_Blood pours._

_It feels like feathers._

_Inject._

_It feels like they keep injecting something into me._

_It doesn't hurt._

_But I feel it spreading._

_Like little ants crawling all over me._

_The cycle repeats._

_Day One: It hurts._

_Day 2: It burns._

_Day 3: It stings._

_Day four: A pinch._

_Inject._

_Cut._

_Heal._

_Inject._

_Cut._

_Heal._

_The cycle repeats._

_Pinch._

_Cut._

**_I feel nothing._ **

**[----]**

_Day 5: They cut my arms off they re-attached them._

_It was cold. They dunked me in ice._

_I feel nothing._

_I know they are yelling._

_They want me to scream._

_Day 6: It’s so dark._

_I can't feel anything._

_Grandma....Grandpa....Papa..._

_Lysithea....Henry...Tharja..._

_Derick...Morgan...Iris..._

_Ray….May…_

_I hate the dark._

**_Day seven: Cut._ **

****

_Burn._

_Slash._

_Stab._

_Dunk._

_Inject._

**_I hate it._ **

_I feel nothing._

_I hear nothing._

_I feel...nothing._

**_That's right...l need to go back._ **

_I have to go back._

_I must survive._

**_Shut down._ **

_I need to shut down._

**_I am not hungry._ **

_I am not cold._

_I am not thirsty._

**_Focus._ **

_Focus._

_Shut down._

_I need to...._

**_Shut down._ **

**[ TRIGGER CHAPTER SCENE: END]**

**[----]**

7 days and seven nights. No one could sit still. All the mages of Grimleal were in a panic when the trio reported the news. Morgan felt guilty he couldn't do anything and desperately began researching magic to try and locate his teacher. Emmyren prayed to Naga that her friend was safe. That was all she could do. All she could do was pray. The door to the Garden slammed open. The group ran out as Aversa walked in; her face held a cruel grin as she stopped.

"My, not so loud as usual." Aversa chuckles as Morgan glares at her.

"Where is Sophia?!" The boy yelled and Emmyren placed a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.

She gave him a small nod and turned to the woman.

"Aversa, where is Sophia? What have you done to her?" She spoke calmly though there was distress in her eyes.

"Ufu~" Aversa smiled as the group jumped back, the magic circle from before appeared floating a bit in the air.

A figure fell out of the magic circle, the first one to move was Emmyren since she quickly realized who it was. Her arms were spread, and she barely managed to catch her yet...

"Ah...Ha..." the Exalt began shaking as she realized the scent of iron and the crimson liquid that covered her hands.

She slowly looked up as she saw Aversa smiling wickedly, her face a few inches from her own.

"I hope you enjoy your gift Exalt Emmyren. For this woman...will be your downfall."

For as Aversa cackled, the garden was filled with Emmyren's and Morgan's wailing screams as they held Sophia in their arms.

**[-----]**

_How many days have passed?_

_How many nights?_

_Ah....I can feel something warm. My vision, it hurts. It's faint...but I see light._

_Light._

She could see light. Yet she couldn't feel anything. She laid still. Not moving at all. Her eyes void of any human emotion as she could hear sobbing next to her bed. Perhaps the faint image of someone running around. The muffled sound of gasping could be heard as her vision became clear.

"She's alive!" The first faces Sophia was able to see was a weeping Morgan, tears falling as he held her right hand, and Emmyren who cried tears of joy.

Henry dropped to his knees, relief falling over him as her saw Sophia blink yet....

 _".........Why are you crying?"_ Sophia thought as her face and eyes remained void of emotions.

She can't feel anything. Not warmth. No cold. No joy. No anger. No sorrow.

**_Nothing._ **

"Teacher?" Morgan said slowly as he noticed her not reacting at all, only blink.

Sophia turned her head a bit, staring to a wall.

"Is she injured?" Emmyren asked as Tharja shook her head.

"No wounds. Not a single trace of them on her. Yet...." she shivered at the memory of how blood covered the woman was.

"She wasn't....you know....ra----" Derick was cut off by Tharja shaking her head.

"No. None of that. Whoever tortured her never went to that extreme. What they wanted..." Henry's voice was cold, barely hiding the furious tone in it, "Was to break her mind." He stood up and walked to Morgan's side.

"Mental torture along with physical." His hand gently hovered over her head, glowing a bit, "Unfortunately for them...she shut herself away. So, I can't feel anything. She's there but..sigh...who knows when she will come back." He muttered.

 _".......You were all next to me....you were all crying? Why are you crying for me? Why do you weep for me?"_ Sophia thought as Morgan helped her sit up.

"........Can we....reach out to her?" Morgan asked a bit nervously.

"No..." Emmyren shook her head, "All we can do is wait. She'll recover but...it will take a long time." She muttered softly.

Gently, the woman used some light magic on her. They noticed how Sophia's eyes only widened slightly yet she made no sound or movement.

 _"I'm here..."_ Sophia thought and Emmyren's eyes went wide as the black-haired woman slowly looked towards her.

"Ahh....Yes..." the woman began crying again as she held her hands, they trembled with sorrow and a bit of joy.

**_"You're here."_ **

**[------]**

It's been hours and Derick met secretly with Gaius. The news that was given is not good.

"End of December. The Exalt will be executed. And....I found out some sort of ritual is going to be performed." Derick said as he had his arms crossed, leaning on the wall.

"Breaker....something happened. What aren't you telling me?" Gaius muttered as he was on the opposite side of the wall, his arms crossed as he leaned on it.

"Sophia.....Was...she...she was tortured." A pin could be heard dropping as Gaius's eyes went wide as he slowly processed what was just said.

"Don't pity her." The thief said suddenly, "I know Miss Water Nymph wouldn't like it if you pity her. It'll take a while but...she'll be back...How's Cinnamon holding up?" He asked, referring to Emmeryn.

"..........Barely by a thread. She feels guilty." Derick sighs and throws over the wall a small bag for Gaius to catch, "Make sure that tactician gets it."

"These are tomes and poisons...." Gaius muttered.

"I know."

**Chapter 13: Black Grip Heart**

**[---------]**

**_Join the discord: discord .gg/9XG3U7a_ **


	14. Twisted Tears

The past weeks have been difficult for everyone. Sophia gently moved her hand yet there was still no emotion in her eyes or face. She looked like a walking doll, void of any expression. She blinked once more as she shifted her body to sit on the edge of her bed. Her mind is recovering but her body is a different story. She is having a difficult time moving in different directions and has bumped into things multiple times. She walked and bumped into Henry, who chuckled a bit softly.

"To the left." He says as he moved her a bit to help her walk in the right direction where she was heading.

Sophia was trying to go to the library. Though she couldn't feel or express anything, she can still see and hear what is going on. In the state she is in, it looks like she can't hear anything. Henry carefully walked behind her but did once a while to help her walk certain directions because her senses are still in a disastrous state. Entering the library, her mentor was there with Morgan but she saw a look of empathy flash in his eyes as she sat down next to the boy.

"Teacher, glad you could join us." Morgan gave her a bit of a strained smile, yet, she could not react.

"I'm glad you are well. Please don't make that face." Sophia thought as her expression remained the same, looking forward to the chalkboard.

"Sigh. Today's lesson shall be about light and dark magic." He begins while Morgan grumbles "again?"

Sophia internally chuckled as she could only listen to the lesson being taught. Usually, she would be taking notes, maybe comment here and there. Yet, she listened closely to the lesson as she lightly drummed her index finger on the table. She wanted to make some sort of movement. Internally she sighs. Even though Morgan is smiling now, she remembers that the first two weeks the boy was crying as he held her hand, praying to Naga to help her. He wasn't the only one. There were days Emmyren would come in and hold her hand or talk about how things have been.

Sophia was surprised ( _even though her face and eyes didn't show it_ ) to learn that she and Phila were engaged. Phila had sworn herself to Emmeryn 12 years ago and as two years went by, the two became close and eventually fell in love. They had to keep it a secret for five years but soon they were able to announce it. While yes, some people did not agree, Chrom, Lissa, and many others were overjoyed to learn they were together. Phila was like family to them. Sophia felt happy for them.

"Happy..." she thought as she saw Morgan turning on a candle to use to melt the wax he was going to use as a seal.

"I felt happy for them..." Sophia thought as she stared at the candle, "I separated my mind a body...if I touch the flame, will I feel pain?" She gently stretched out her hand and put it over the flame.

"Teacher, what are you doing?!" Morgan screeched when he realized what she did and their mentor quickly removed her hand while Henry rant to her to heal it.

"It hurt...a lot..." Sophia thought as her voidless eyes stared at her hand as it was being healed.

_"If I set myself on fire or jump off a building, will my mind and body return to normal?"_

**[------]**

It was strange. It was strange for Sophia to just sit and not bake to do anything. She can't express anything. She found it...haunting. She should be used to this. Not expressing a single bit of emotions, a voidless blank face, yet...she found it haunting. She sat in the library, staring at the book that was left open for her. Tharja was hoping to get some sort of reaction out of her. The book was again one of the Judargal series of Sigurd and Deirdre. The pictures drawn in the book were done in a fairytale style.

"You're still in there, correct?" Tharja muttered as she Sophia lightly nodded, barely noticeable.

There was a small shift in her magic, which Tharja noticed.

"You're trying to communicate with me...." the dark mage muttered as another shift confirmed it, "Sigh...Can you...try to speak?"

"........." Sophia opened her lips but no sound came out.

"Can you do magic?" Tharja asked as she walked up and placed a bowl of water in front of her, "Try to make a water droplet float."

Sophia showed no reaction again yet....she slightly raised her hand, placing in the water.

"Cool....it feels cool..." Sophia thought and Tharja noticed a small ice crystal forming.

"Good. Seems you can st----!!" The woman suddenly backed away as the bowl was suddenly frozen solid.

The sight of purple ice crystals made her question if the woman's magic was out of control. Tharja quickly removed Sophia's hand from the ice and observed it.

"How strange.....while there is no damage to your magic veins, there is the memory that they were destroyed and repaired. It was done multiple times. Sigh....because of this, you would have to be retrained to control your magic again." She looked up to the woman who showed no reaction.

"I hate this..." Sophia thought as she wanted to make a bitter smile but her face was just stone.

**[-------]**

"Not sure if you can hear me but...I figured I report to you what's going on." Derrick muttered as he was with Sophia in her office.

They heard a window open. In came Gaius, who waved. But he was taken back by how doll-like and still she was. He frowned as he saw she didn't react one bit as he came in, only stared at the book in front of her.

"Hey Miss Water Nymph, glad to see you alive." Gaius smiled a bit sadly as he sat down across from her, "Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you. I wish I could speak to you." Sophia thought as she managed to turn her head a bit towards him.

"Well, it's something." Gaius sighs as he places a small stack of letters on her desk and a little bag of candies, "Caramels from Ylisse. Figured you might like them. And those letters are from Lysithea and the others. They haven't heard of you and are worried." He muttered.

"So, what's the report?" He asked and Derrick sighs.

"Children from Ylisse, Ferox, and Plegia have been disappearing. The war seems to be getting bloodier. It has been confirmed that the Ylisse Prince is soon to reach Plegia. Estimate time...." Gauis put two fingers up, "Two weeks. Two weeks Sophia and we’re bringing you and Emmeryn home."

"............" Sophia's mind went blank at him saying that.

"What....? I understand Emmyren but me...?! Why do you want to help me?! I don't understand! Is...Is...Archanea even my home?" Sophia frantically thought as her hands suddenly slowly rose to her face, touching it, her eyes slowly going wide.

"Uhhhh.....Derrick?!" Gaius quickly stood up as the woman began shaking as she held her face, her eyes flickering between the colors of crimson and green suddenly.

"Ahh---Ahh...H-H-Home...I-Is...i-it..?!" Her voice sounded like a broken record as they were the first ones to say in weeks.

"Sophia! Please calm down!" Derrick said as he quickly put his hands on her shoulders, hoping to calm her down.

Sophia shaking slowly ceased as he saw her taking deep breaths, her face reverting to a black slate. He let go of a sigh. While a part of him is glad that Sophia showed some sort of emotion, _terror_ was one he wasn't hoping for. He let go of another sigh as Gauis was careful.

"Nymph, I don't know what you were trying to say but I have a feeling you were questioning if Ylisse or Archanea is your home. I don't know...if this will help but, it's both. You have people that care about you here. While we may not know each other much, I somehow get the feeling you put up a rough exterior on purpose." Gauis muttered and Sophia mentally snorted.

"Geez....thanks for calling me out...." Sophia internally grumbled as he carefully made her hands go onto her lap.

"Hang in there. You and Cinnamon."

**[-----]**

"I can't stand this!" Sophia mentally yelled as she tried to show some sort of emotion again, "Smile! Anything! Scream! Sadness! Just show some sort of emotion!"

Her hands touched the mirror, the only reflection looking back to her was a voidless face. It was like she wasn't even human. It's been weeks and now it was the middle of December.

**_Something!_ **

She wants to show something. Just something to show emotions are still within her!

"Just....something..." she mentally sobbed as she dropped to her knees, shaking a bit.

Tears fell from her as no emotion whatsoever was on her face. Like a soulless doll. She heard the door to her room open and a gasp.

"Oh!" Quickly walking up to her, Emmyren helped her stand up and led her to the bed, allowing her to sit down, "Oh Sophia...."

"I want to be human again.....why did something like torture had to happen for me to realize that I am human!" Her tears fell more as her hands shook.

"I know you are trying...." Emmyren muttered softly as she hugged the woman to her chest, "I know you are trying to communicate with us. But please...I beg you...do not force yourself. Do not rush." She smiled sadly at her.

"I can't...I don't have much. _You_ don't have much time." Sophia thought as the most she could manage was to gently cup Emmyren's cheek.

"F....F....F-F..." The Exalt’s eyes went wide as Sophia tried to form words, "F...F...Fa...mi...ly... You....F...F....Fr...Friend....you..are." was the most Sophia could choke out.

Emmeryn smiled sadly as her tears now fell, hugging the woman tightly.

"Thank you...thank you for everything you have done." She let go of her, "But now it's my turn. It has been decided I will be executed in two weeks. When that happens...know that you, your friends, and my family will always be in my heart."

Sophia's tears only fell as the two hugged each other. She felt pathetic. She was in this sorry state and she could not do anything because of it. She wants to help. She wants to stop this. She wants...she wants...

_I want you to live._

**_\-- Dream -_ **

_The void._

_It's endless._

_Dark._

_Cold._

_I hate the dark._

_Yet..._

_Why does it feel so comforting?_

_It had been a while since she had a dream. The place...the star sky. The blue full moon, the lake of pure, the glowing moss giving it a majestic look. Yet...something here, feels almost comforting. Sophia could move. She could talk. She could..._

_"I'm human..." Her face morphed into a smile of joy as she fell to her knees, crying loudly as her hands touched the water, "Even if this is a dream...I'm thankful..."_

_The wind began to blow softly as the water rippled. She stood up, hearing a soft voice crying. Weeping. She gently placed her foot on the water surface, walking to the center. She could almost cry. Placing her hand, she could see two figures, speaking to each other. One a young woman and the other an elder woman._

_"...Hey Grandmother. Let me hear that story! The story about the knight who goes and saves the captured princess!" The young woman said happily to her grandmother._

_"My, my. Again? You are already 17 years old, haven't you had enough? How about outgrowing this story?" The old woman chuckled a bit._

_"But, I like it..." the girl pouted a bit._

_"Hahahaha. All right, I guess it can't be helped." The old woman chuckled as she began to speak of the story of the knight that defeated the evil mage._

_"There once was a Kingdom with an extremely beautiful princess. Rumors of her beauty spread across the kingdom's borders and soon, even people from distant countries began to gossip about how beautiful she was."_

_"Father throws a ball to find a husband for the princess. Evil mage comes and declares she is his wife or the country is destroyed by his magic. The knight hears of this and saves the princess from the mages' clutches. Sigh...I know this story...My grandmother used to tell me when I was a child." Sophia sighs as the water ripples._

_"Grandmother...she...thinks this story as childish. It may be okay to laugh at a fairytale. But to me...it is a story that has been my " **dream** " since I was a child. It says a person who will free me from this fate will appear." The young woman thought as a single tear was shed._

_Why?_

_" **Why will that bring a catastrophe?** " The young woman thought as Sophia looked at her sadly._

_"....................." Sophia was silent as she watched the young girl dream, "The outside world....isn't all fairytales." she muttered as if the girl could hear her, "But...I guess it's the people you are with...that make it beautiful." She sighs as she sits down on the water surface, hugging her knees to her chest._

_"Beauty....can be anything. But....we also need to think about what we want. Say....do you wish to let fate be the one to make your path?" She asked, "Of course you are not going to respond. You're just a reflection...whoever you are." She let go of another sigh._

_However, because her back was turned she did not see the young girl turn to her with a small smile. It was like whispers yet as the girl reached out, her hands came out of the water, suddenly wrapping around Sophia. The woman's eyes went wide, nearly on the verge of screaming as she was pulled into the water. It was pulling her down._

_Deeper._

_Deeper._

**_Not too far or you will drown._ **

_Yet, arms with a loving and kind embrace hugged her. The embrace suddenly brought her a familiar nostalgic feeling that she had long forgotten. The young girl suddenly looked older as she smiled softly holding the child in her arms. Sophia was now a child. Why? This woman, she felt so safe. Why?_

_"Soon. Soon."_

_\- End of Dream -_

_Morning_. It was morning. Her eyes stung as she sat up on her bed, and the sunlight entering the room wasn't helping at all. She tried to say a string of curse words because Henry had opened the window to allow air to come in. Unfortunately, as much as she wished to speak normally, reality ran her over like a truck.

"I hate this...." She covered her face and she felt it was still as stone, not a single bit of emotion... _again_.

"Morning Sophia!" Henry smiled cheerfully to her as the woman's magic gave waves of irritation, the ones he was very familiar with when she hated being woken up in the morning.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he walked up to her and the woman just carefully moved her legs to be on the edge of the bed.

"Ready to throw you out the window because you woke me up.....Gods...I hate the cold." Sophia thought as she put on her slippers.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." He chuckled and Claude just hissed at him.

"Anyhow..." he smiled, "I have a surprise for you. I'll leave you to get dressed. After that, meet me in my room." And he left with a giddy grin.

"What's got him excited?" Sophia thought as she went to her closet yet...she just stared at the accursed fancy dress that Aversa said she must wear.

"F...F....F....uck..." she shook hands as she grabbed the dress and pulled in opposite directions.

The tension growing as the small sounds of fabric tearing resonated in the room.

**Anger.**

_She felt anger._

Even if just for her bit her lips twitched as she could feel herself her teeth. Pulling the dress even harder, the fabric ripping even more.

"I-I...A-Am...." her voice was rasp but she didn't care, it was something.

She was showing something as the sounds became louder, the dress now ripping as she screamed what she wanted to say for a song time to that witch.

"FUCK OFF!" The ripping sound of fabric filled the room as she panted, each hand holding half of the dress, her eyes flickering between crimson and green.

 _Angerangernagerangeranger. Hatehatehatehate._ Even if for a brief moment she was showing emotion, it was something before her body forced itself again to become still like a doll. Her eyes zoomed on the old lab coat that she wore when she first arrived. It was cleaned and left pearly white by Tharja. Sophia grabbed it, along with a red loose shirt, and baggy black pants.

"I'm human." She kept repeating in her mind as she put on her clothing.

_And human she is._

**[-----]**

Henry nearly had a double-take as he saw Sophia come out in her old lab coat. But, it was fitting. Wearing it, she looked more like her old self. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He motioned her to follow as they made their way to The Garden Stables. There, his wyvern, Ashe, let out happy chirping noises as it spotted him and suddenly Petra let out a joyful roar once it spotted its master. He undid the clasp of the door, quickly jumping out of the way as Petra rammed it open with her scally head. The brown and purple scales wyvern chirped and purred happily as it licked Sophia's face multiple times. Henry swore he saw her eye twitch. At least the woman made some sort of movement that made the wyvern calm down.

"Why are we here?" Sophia thought and it seemed Henry was able to get the message because of the reaction of her waves.

"It's been a while since you've gone out. I think some sunlight would do you well." He smiled.

On the wyverns they saddled on and up they flew to the skies. Petra loved going wild in the sky. Ashe just snorted as he sent a warning tone to his companion to calm down. The wyvern just sent him a gust of wind that nearly knocked his rider off.

"Watch it!" Henry glared at the wyvern.

"U...fu..." it was very faint but he heard it, a very faint chuckle.

**[---]**

It had been a long time since she has flown through the wind like this. The sense of freedom, like a bird flying to lands beyond. The feeling of the wind blowing through her hair and face, a sensation she missed. Memories of her days' horseback riding with her grandmother and grandfather. Memories resurfacing when her father would join them. She recalls that the area they lived in was a bit of the countryside. Wide fields of grass as far as the eye could see. The sun stretching to the horizon as the hues of orange, red, and yellow covered the sky. She closed her eyes as she let go of Petra's reins, ignoring Henry's eyes snap open in shock and horror.

"Hmm...I never did do that...." Sophia thought as she let herself slip off Petra's back.

"SOPHIA!" Henry yelled and instantly had Asha fly down to catch her.

But...

"P...P...PETRA!" Her voice suddenly ripped through her voice as the wyvern roared and dove down, catching her at a speed that left the mage dumbstruck.

Petra let out a happy roar as her rider was back on, holding the reins as a weak but joyful chuckle left her lips.

"Haha...haha... " Sophia felt joy, perhaps a bit of fear but it was something.

Riding had always been some sort of comfort for her. The woman opened her eyes as she saw Henry looked relieved but also angry.

"While I am glad you are showing some sort of emotion, WARN ME NEXT YOU THROW YOURSELF OFF THE WYVERN! I NEARLY HAD A _HARD_ -ATTACK!" He roared and Petra responded with a snort.

"U...Ufu..." Sophia managed to let go of a small chuckle before her face was reverted to an emotionless doll.

Perhaps it has been around 5 hours but it was around midday she could tell. It was faint but she could see the outline of houses.

"A village?" She thought as they flew closer.

The realization hit her suddenly when she figured out what village it was.

"Henry....?" If she could speak, her voice would be going high.

The two had the wyverns land near the familiar as they got off. Her body was shaking as she looked at the familiar gates and the people there. Henry took her hand and began walking towards the gates.

"Howdy!" He yelled out and a man turned to him, his eyes wide.

"Henry?! What on earth?! Boy! It's been so long!" The man grinned and looked behind him, "Is that...?"

And Henry placed index fingers on his lips.

"Is Ahura and Dana home?" Henry asked and the man nodded.

"Not just them." The man chuckled and the group waved goodbye.

As they walked through the village, Henry could still feel Sophia shaking. He stopped and turned to her.

"Do you feel it's your fault?" He asked and she gave a small nod, "Do you feel that these people should hate you?" She nodded again.

"Well, my friend. That is where you are wrong." He grins and they arrived at Ahura's home.

Knocking the door he does and they can hear shuffling inside.

"One moment!" The woman's voice rings out a bit and the door opens.

"GOOD GODS! HENRY AND SOPHIA!" The woman yelled out in shock as her hand went over her heart.

"Ahura? Everything alright?"

From the hallways called out Mustafa's voice along with the sound of running feet. Bursting full of energy, it had been a long time since Sophia saw Dana's toothy grin.

"SOPHIA!" The boy yelled and pounced at her.

The woman barely had a moment to react to catch him. Out of instinct, she spun him around, hearing him laugh again made her heart swell with joy. She placed the boy down as Mustafa came out and looked at them shocked. Yet, the general could not help but chuckle as his wife ran back inside to prepare drinks for all of them.

"It has been awhile you two." Mustafa smiled a bit as motioned them to come in.

"Welcome back! You beat up those mean mages huh?!" Dana said excitedly as he took her hand and pulled her in.

"........." she didn't respond.

Ahura smiled sadly as she placed the cups of tea on the table while Henry and Mustafa had a private discussion. Sophia was led to the living room where a table was set. Dana had a grin as he made her sit at the chair that was across from his mother. Ahura smiled a bit as her son sat down.

"What stories do you have? It's been so long! Oh! Look what I can do now!" The boy cupped his hands together and made a small water bubble form in his hands, "I can make water!"

"......." Though Sophia could not show any reaction, the most she could do was pat the boy's head.

"Are you happy?" Dana asked, confused and Sophia managed to nod a bit.

"Then how come you aren't smiling?" The boy asked a bit hurt.

"Dana." Ahura gave him a warning tone and then looked to her hand, Sophia placed it on hers.

The woman understood and smiled sadly as she spoke.

"I'm happy you are alive but....it hurts seeing you like this. Sigh..." Ahura let go of a shaky breath, "I heard a bit of news of what was going on. A land up north where the desert meets the sea had been restored. The earth veins that were once weak are now strong once more. We have been able to plant and harvest. Many of our people have been able to heal. But...at what cost?" She held the woman's hand.

"Look at you.....I can only imagine the horrid things you've gone through. Oh, Sophia....please do not blame yourself for that day." Ahura muttered.

Dana smiled sadly as he held Sophia's other hand. Sophia looked at them shocked but mentally smiled sadly as she squeezed the hands back.

"I do blame myself...At times I wonder what my life would have been if I never met any of you? Maybe I would be dead..." She thought as she let go of a sigh, "I wouldn't be where I am now. I...would not have been able to learn what it is like to trust someone...I have always been alone till now."

She blinked multiple times as she felt her hair ruffled and looked up to see Mustafa grinning down at her.

"I spoke with Derrick and Henry. These two have been causing you trouble huh? Don't worry lass. I gave them scolding." Mustafa chuckled as he sat down next to his wife.

"I'm hurt! Yeah, I pulled some pranks! You should have seen the Risen hand I placed under Derrick's bed! He woke up screaming like a banshee on fire! Nyhahahaha!" Henry laughed proudly while Sophia just covered her eyes in embarrassment.

"No wonder Derrick refuses to sleep with no lamp in his room." Sophia mentally groans.

"Oh come on Sophi! Even you had the face of shock when he woke up the entire castle." Henry patted her back.

Sophia just slammed her face on the table. God, it felt like she was babysitting a 5-year-old.

"Pfft!" Ahura had to cover her mouth because of the scene.

She understood what Sophia felt.

"So, what's going to happen now?" Henry asked.

"Well...if we survive this war, hopefully perhaps live in peace for a while." Mustafa muttered as Sophia sat up straight.

"........W-Why....d-did..." Henry's eyes went wide as he saw her trying to talk, "y-you....l-let...m-me..s-stay? D-Don't....y-you...h-hate...me?" She asked and the man frowned.

"Tell me, Sophia, do you want us to hate you?" Mustafa asked seriously.

"Speak...anything! Keep trying!" Sophia roared in her mind as she desperately gritted her teeth.

"Sophia, stop! Don't push yourself!" Henry said as he held her shoulder and Mustafa glared at him.

"No boy! She wishes to communicate! Do not stop her!" He said he was a bit cold and Sophia gritted her teeth as her hands turned into a fist.

"I....am..foreigner....I-I wasn't...exactly...welcomed with..open arms...Because of me...y-your...f-family...was..put in...danger. I...do not...want..to be...hated...P-Plegai...Ferox...Ylisse...Ahura...Dana...Henry...you...everyone I met...I..I....care. I...care." She was doing she can't stop the tears that threatened to spill yet they fell, "I...learned....so..much...gasp!" She gasped for air but kept pushing herself even if her body did not want to, "From! Y-You...all! Y-You...all...mean...so-so much...to me! I....I..."

The woman's eyes went wide as she felt a hand gently laid on her head. She looked up slowly to see Mustafa with a rare warm smile as he nodded.

"There is your answer girl. **_You care_**." He said and finally, the hot tears spilled like a river as her lip quivered.

"Ulp...hic....hic....You...all...mean so much to me..." she cried and the man chuckled a bit.

"You too, girl. You mean a lot to us. That's why I know you are strong. In Plegia, our people value strength and courage. And that is what you have proven to have. You have what many Plegai warriors lack these days. _Empathy_. Look at yourself now. You're not the same shut-in girl that used to always have a scowl on her face!" He laughed and Sophia let go of a soft chuckle.

"I have changed."

**_[------]_ **

"You mad?" Henry gave her a hurtful pout as they were flying back to the garden.

"No." Sophia managed to give him a playful glare.

It had been some time since she enjoyed herself. Even though she was barely able to talk a bare minimum, it felt...freeing.

" _And though I am gone~_ " she sang softly, " _Just ash in the wind~ One life surrenders so yours may begin~ Courage, my children, this is your song ~ I am the Earth..._ " Sophia had Petra fly up high, far above the clouds.

" _I will make you strong~_ " she closed her eyes as she let the wyvern take charge and dive back down, then spin.

A small chuckle left her lips as she looked over to Henry, who smiled sadly at her.

"I'm back..." She muttered and the man-made Ashe get closer, then hugged her tightly.

"Welcome back." His voice shuttered as she chuckled a bit sadly.

"Thank you. I think I needed this...more than anything." She muttered as he let go of her.

"I figured that much." He chuckled and the two frowned when they noticed the Grimleal mages along with Aversa heading to the garden, "Oh great...."

His tone was cold as Sophia bit her lip.

"How long till Emmyren's execution?" She asked.

"Two weeks. What do you have in mind?" Henry asked as they flew down to the stables quietly and quickly got off.

"Go get the group into my room. I need all of you." Sophia says as they quickly run back into the castle.

While Henry had the others gather in her room, he also had Emmeryn lock the door to her room to be safe. Sophia let go of a sigh as she made her clothing glow and turned to the black Fodlan dancer dress she has kept hidden. She had requested to be made a month ago. She put on her veil and let go of her hair, letting it be free. Because of the magic and torture, she went through, it grew longer, to her ankles. She let go of a sigh as she put on the Grimleal crown.

"As much I wish I could celebrate my mind returning to my body, that has to wait." She muttered and walked out to the ballroom.

The footsteps and small jingles of her jewelry were heard as she entered. Aversa's eyes went wide as she walked in. Sophia had enough. It was to make her move.

"Good evening Aversa. I see you still wear that hideous dress of feathers. Say, did the designer forget to remove them?" She swayed her hips a bit as she walked to show she was not afraid.

A Grimleal member had to quickly slap his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing at that. Aversa gritted her teeth and raised her hand to slap her but the only thing that happened was Sophia caught her wrist.

"I am very much...alive..." Sophia hissed, "State your business before I unleash Thorn."

A small crackle of purple was seen in the air, the atmosphere around them buzzed, making the hair on their arms stand. Aversa made the woman let go of her wrist with a snarl.

"Tomorrow. You will be coming with us tomorrow. That is all." Aversa huffed and ordered her mages to leave with.

Once gone, Sophia just rolled her eyes as she looked at her hands. Now that she realizes it, her left hand has been bandaged and a seal placed on it. She tried to remove it but no luck. She just let it go at this point and headed to her room. A few minutes it took but she arrived, but she did not expect to suddenly be hugged tightly.

"Welcome back!" Morgan cried loudly in her chest and she smiled sadly as she patted his head.

"Yo. Welcome back." Derrick walked up and patted her on her shoulder.

"Indeed." Tharja showed a rare smile as Henry gave them a nod.

"So, why the secret meeting?" Henry smiled as he pointed to the magic tool that floated above them in the center of the room.

The magic tool is called a silencer. It is used to prevent sound from leaving or entering the room. People use it to make sure no conversations can be heard outside the room. No sound can be heard from the outside.

"We're discussing Emmyren's execution," Sophia spoke and the room went still.

The woman let go of a shaky breath as the boy let go of her.

"While...I was tortured. I saw visions." Okay, the perfect excuse to lie, "I saw how Emmyren will die as well as when the Ylisse Princess will arrive." She begins, "I want Gangrel and the Grimleal to pay for all the suffering they have caused as well as to stop Grima. For that....we need a plan. The first one is simple." She looked over to Tharja and Derrick.

"Tharja and Derrick." The two looked at her confused, "You two are most likely to be called to fight in the war. To prevent Ylisse from reaching the capital. My order is simple, join the Ylisse army." And Derrick looked at her shocked.

"Tch." Tharja clicked her teeth, "Knowing Gangrel, it is very much killed or die at the battlefield simply because he commands it. Pfft. What do I care about the Ylisseans?" She grumbled.

"I know you've been making sure that none of Emmyren's food has been poisoned. And if it was, you would replace it." Sophia bluntly pointed out and while Tharja just grumbled as she used her tome to cover her face.

"We were given no reason to fight just orders from the mad king. Besides..." he grin turned wicked, "I have always been good at choosing who to hate on my own...Very well. I will join them when the time comes." Tharja let out a dark chuckle.

"Derrick?" Sophia turned to him, seeing his lips become a thin line, "I know....what I am asking you is a lot. You were born here in Plegia after all."

"No. It's alright." He shook his head, "I think you all should know this too." He looked around, "Only General Heriot knows of this. But....you all know the story that I'm a war orphan he took in right?" He says and they nod.

"I'm not a war orphan. I'm not even from Plegia." He says and they looked at him shocked, "General Heriot...saved me from the Grimleal 10 years ago. I was kidnapped from a secluded village in the mountains of Orgahil. It's an island around 200 miles from Plegia. I think? Anyhow." He shook his head, "Grimleal needed blood. Not just any kind of blood. They..." he bit his lip, debating if he should say the next part or not.

"You don't have to say it," Sophia muttered.

"Thank you. All I can say is...my blood is...rare...like...really, really, really rare." He said, "But I am more than happy to join Ylisse. General Heriot...yes he has done a lot for me but...I can't stand by while he just remains quiet about the unjust going on. I will gladly defect to Ylisse, even if I can never return to Plegia." He nodded firmly.

"And us?" Morgan said as he referred to himself and Henry.

"You two will remain here with me. For now....sigh..." she took a deep breath, "We're going to make sure Emmyren, Phila, and all of us get out of this war alive."

"What do you have planned?" Tharja asked.

"Derrick, does Philla still have that necklace I ordered you to give her?" Sophia asked.

He nodded.

"Good." She thought as she looked out the window where the moon was full.

She walked towards it, looking out to the slumbering capital of Plegia. It was only a few more days before this place became a war zone. She looked up to the sky and closed her eyes.

"I've decided. Emmyren will live along with Phila. Forgive me my future self but I'm not going to remain silent. Not this time." She opened her eyes and they were the colors of crimson that fade to emerald.

**[------]**

The next day Aversa came along with a group of female mages. Unfortunately for Sophia, it was the one group that liked to doll her up. They bathed, combed her hair, put on a bloody black dress that reminded her of a gothic ball gown. Not to also mention they put purple silver and gold jewelry along with the Grimleal crown. Sophia let go of a sigh as they finished dressing her. They walked out of the room and Sophia gave one final look to the others. Her message was clear.

"How long will we be gone?" Sophia asked as she saw Petra was saddled up.

"We will be gone for three days. But make sure you hold onto this." Aversa handed her a strange lamp.

Sophia recognized it. It was the lamp that Henry and Tharja showed her months ago. They got on their flying units and took off. The only thing Sophia appreciated about the dress is that it was easy to move in. On her right and left thighs, she had strapped on her chakrams along with a Fire mini tome.

Wherever they were going, she was getting a bad feeling.

**\- Three Days Later -**

Three days flying through the lands of Plegia that were once a desert. Three days of seeing bushes of life and trees slowly growing back to the barren land. Yet, the more they flew, the dark and tense atmosphere only grew. Within her sight, she spotted what seemed like an old ruin. Around 13 pillars were in a circle formation, some of them were in pieces while others had cracks yet...

"Why are there children and women?!" Sophia yelled as her eyes went wide as she had Petra land near the temple.

She jumped off and ran into it. The women and children were let in groups of five. One group each at a pillar, a total of 65 people altogether. She looked around the place. The sun was setting and she could see moss growing on the stone pillars along with strange markings on them. The ground underneath her suddenly glowed, the woman screamed as black chains wrapped around her and suddenly pulled her to the very center of the temple. Under her feet were strange hieroglyphics she had never seen before. The lamp began floating above her, glowing an eerie gray. Aversa smiled as she looked around, the magic in the air crackled fainting. The women and children were knocked out.

"Welcome Heirophat of Grima!" She raised her arms as the Grimleal mages got into their positions, each with an ancient scroll in their hand, "For it is time for you to fulfill your role. It is time to show the world of our Lord's power. Bring to life the 13 Deadlords!" She yelled.

It suddenly clicked. The reason they were so damned for her to join Grimleal. What they called her a summoned one. Why they kept saying she was rare blood. A sacrifice. They wanted her as a sacrifice. That's why they kept teaching dark magic until her magic took on a dark form. Why they treated her like some kind of holy object. Why they never let her go outside the capital.

_Why..._

"I was tortured..." she whispered as she gritted her teeth and looked up to the tan woman.

"Now, repeat these words." Aversa projected words in front of her.

Sophia gritted her teeth as she felt the magic holding her down only tighten its grip.

"I refuse." She snarled, "I refuse to make these people become sacrifices for your twisted jokes!" She roared.

"You have no choice! If you won't speak, then I will make you!" Aversa yelled as her tome, _Shade_ , glowed brightly.

"Aaahahhhh!" Sophia screamed as she felt her voice trying to force itself to form words.

"N...No....!" Her hands flew to her head and gripped it tightly as she thrashed around.

"SPEAK!" Aversa roared louder as her tome glowed brighter.

"AAAHHHHHHHHH!" Sophia let out a blood-curdling scream as she threw her head back, the words forced to come out.

" **GREAT GOD LOPTOUS! I OFFER MY BLOOD OF FELL AND DIVINE! I SUMMON THY LOYAL SERVANTS! GRIMA OF THE FELL! SCION OF DARKNESS! BLOOD OF DIVINE! I OFFER THE SOULS OF INNOCENT! RISE DEADLORDS! RISE AND SERVE OUR LORD! RISE AND PLUNGE THIS WORLD TO FELL DARKNESS!** " Sophia roared and the lantern glowed brightly above them.

Children and women began growing as glowing veins appeared on their bodies as did Sophia. She felt her left hand burning as she felt her veins glow as the lantern above. Magic swirls all around them as she drops to her knees. She gritted her teeth as thirteen magic circles form. One at each pillar. Her blood felt like it was on fire.

"No...I refuse...this..." Sophia forced herself to stand up even as the chains tried to hold her down.

"I REFUUUUUUSSSSEEEE!" She roared as the veins spread all around her.

Unknown to all, the black tome that she used to carry, glowed brightly in her room. The pages began flipping rapidly and then the book slammed shut as it created some sort of phantom. It disappeared in a blink of an eye. At the old temple, silver-colored lightning crashed down at each of the pillars, destroying the black shadows that were forming. The sky began thundering as if a storm was suddenly gathered. The Grimleal mages screamed in agony as their tomes were suddenly turned to ashes in their hands. The magic circles shattered like glass as the lantern suddenly began spinning like a toy top. The veins disappeared from the women and children but on Sophia...

"AHHHHHH!" She screamed as they turned silver and the lantern suddenly shot down to her chest, a magic circle appeared on her. It plunged into it and disappeared. The magic began to slowly fade but that was what all believed. Another magic circle formed in front of her. A body began to form as it stepped out, it walked towards her. Coughing as she looked up, her vision blurred as the figure stopped. No one moved. No one could say anything as they only started in fear and shock at the lone figure surrounded by silver and purple miasma. Everyone seems to hold their breaths as it looks around, seeing hands form as it spreads its arms as if presenting itself.

" **I reject it**." Its voice sounded like a possessed woman with a mixture of ghosts. 

Sophia gasped for air as the chains that were holding her shattered as she slowly looked up. The left eye was silver while the other glowed red. The shadow spoke again.

" **I reject the offerings.** " It motioned its hands to the women and children.

Sophia nearly let go of a sigh of relief because they were alive. However, it was short-lived when she felt her veins glow faintly.

"Present yourself," Aversa said with a tone of authority.

However, her eyes went wide as she felt something fly past her. She slowly turned her head to see some sort of black magic attack that was sent at her. Just barely missing her by a hair. The pillar that was hit melted yet the magic attack missed the women and children on purpose.

" **You do not command me.** " The shadow snarled as it turned back to look over to Sophia.

"......Who?" Sophia managed to gasp out.

" **I kill and I devour. I weep and slaughter. I am the Deadlord of Regret and Despair. You summon me yet I am insulted by how. The battlefield painted red and sorrow. You are defiled. I obey. I am the Deadlord _Bryhildr,_ I take this body and make it my own.**" The female dead lord smiled as she raised her hand, crooking a finger at her summoner.

The body was lifted in the air, even if it was a terrible moment, she was snapped out of the protective state she locked herself in to ignore the pain. This dead lord, it features could not be seen. Most of her eyes can make out is the figure of a woman. Yet " _she_ " was surrounded by a dark mist, heterochromia eyes glowing with a look of judgment as she made her summoner float towards her. The Grimleal were afraid. The sacrifices that were meant for the ritual, were rejected. " _She_ " did not want them.

Aversa was shedding beads of sweat as Sophia was now made to be on her knees in front of the walking corpse.

" **Broke. Tainted. Black. White. A mixture of despair and hope.** " Bryhildr sneered, “ **Yet this body wants to coddle you. Tell me, scion....Who do I kill to rest this hunger to weep and despair?** " She hissed as she held her chin tightly.

"......No..one." Sophia managed to hiss out as the dead lord let go of her chin.

" **Ha...** " it let out a weak laugh as it spread its arms out, " **I desire my weapons. And...** " a gray magic circle appeared underneath them, " **Get it we shall!** "

Before Sophia could scream, she along with the deadlord, were gone. Complete silence there was as Aversa was barely able to comprehend what had happened.

"It...It took her!" She could finally say and quickly had the mages search the area.

"The rest of you!" Aversa snarled as she turned to the mages, "The women and children, return them to their villages!"

"What on earth just happened?"

**\- Unknown location -**

"Aaahhh!" Sophia screamed as she was suddenly made to land harshly on a stone and rocky floor.

She coughed violently as she noticed the veins on her body were still present. However, now only one her right and left arm, they started from the tip of her fingers and ended at her shoulders. Her dress was in tatters, but enough she could look decent. At least the long skirt was gone. She ripped off her left sleeve and looked around. The place seemed to be some sort of island. The place was surrounded by water, almost as if a storm was coming but what was most disturbing was the deadlord looking straight ahead. Sophia panted and gasped for air as she forced herself up, looking to where the deadlord was. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the giant gate that swirled weakly with blue magic.

"That's...." before she could say the rest of the sentence she felt a force pull her as the deadlord walked to the gate, its right hand stretched out as it touched the surface.

The magic of it hummed softly, it almost looked like a deadlord was smiling.

" **There you are....** " Byrhildr spoke softly as her hand went through the swirl of magic.

"Wait...where are you going?!" Sophia panicked as half of Brynhildr's body was through the swirl of magic.

The Deadlord only glanced at her for a moment then pulled her in forcefully through the gate.

**_" We are going to the ruins of Grannvale." _ **

**\- Plegia -**

"Ummm...Lady Emmeryn?" Morgan shyly knocked on the door and heard shuffling inside.

The door was opened and she was surprised to see the Exalt looking tired.

"Ah, Morgan." Emmyren gave him a tired smile, "Forgive me for looking like this. I haven't been able to sleep. But, come in!" She says and the boy nodded.

Morgan looked around and noticed her room was a bit similar to Sophia's, except the color scheme of it was more natural colors like light brown, white, mint green, and blue. There was a table where a tea set was already set up. He could smell lavender and based on how the liquid in her teacup was still steaming, it was most likely done a few minutes ago.

"Have a seat. I apologize for not having another cup ready. I did not think I would visitors tonight." Emmeryn smiled a bit as she picked up another cup from the shelf and then walked back to the table.

She served him a cup and sat down across from him.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked politely and Morgan let go of a sigh.

"Lady Emmeryn, do you....feel guilty for what happened to the Teacher?" He asked and the woman smiled sadly as she looked down at her hands.

"I do..." she muttered softly, "These past two months, she has treated me kindly. We didn't have the best meeting but..." she turned to him, "I am glad we were able to become friends. If I had not met any of you, I don't know where I would be right now. I miss my family. I miss Phila. But I know the world doesn't revolve around me. I must be strong. I admit..." she chuckled a bit dryly.

"I somewhat envy Sophia." She looked in her mirror.

The reflection of herself showed not the Exalt but a young woman who had been through many things. The dark circles under her eyes as well as slightly pale skin. She may be the Exalt, the ruler of a country, but she is a young woman, a human with emotions.

"In a way, we are both the same." She muttered as she placed her hand over her heart, "We both went through pain and hardships, able to hide our emotions and display a mask of strength to be able to move forward. Yet...at times I feel like we are each other's shadows." Bitterly she smiled.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

"Sigh...." she let go of a sigh as she touched the engagement ring Phila proposed to her with, "While I speak peace through words, Sophia has the strength to fight. I **_detest_** fighting." That was first for Morgan.

Hearing says such a strong word, **_"Detest."_**

"I always search to settle matters peacefully. Even with those who have tried to kill me." She chuckled a bit, "Sophia, she can fight. Even in the face of danger, she can fight and defend herself. She reminds me of my brother in a way. Yet...here I am.." she looked to her hands, "Unable to do anything more. I do not know how to fight. I know how to heal. At times I feel my efforts towards peace were futile. There have been multiple times where I just wish to cry or run away. I began to recall my early days as an Exalt." She turned to the boy, a rueful smile on her lips.

"At times I question how on earth I was able to do it. To be able to put on a strong and brave exterior without breaking down. Even now, I ask myself why I still am holding on. But...Sophia and I, we both realized we need to. Not just for ourselves, but everyone." She looked back to her hands, "We are like each other's shadows. I wish I had the strength to fight. Sophia admitted to me she wishes she was kind. I told her many times she is a kind person and she has told me many times that I am strong. I couldn't help but feel I was arguing with an old friend!" She chuckled a bit.

".....Aunty." Morgan muttered and quickly covered his mouth as Emmyren looked at him surprised, "I-I am so sorry! It was a slip! I--!!"

"Ufu..Hahahahaha!" Emmyren laughed joyfully as she patted his head, a bright smile on her face, "It's alright Morgan! I do not mind if you see me as an aunt. If it makes you comfortable, you may continue to call me Aunty." She smiled warmly.

"That's because you are my aunt..." he thought as he gave her a nod, his face still a bit red because of the slip-up.

"I think...Your family is proud of you. As well as Sophia." Morgan began as he took a sip of his tea, "We all have our ups and downs. Teacher taught me that it is alright to give up and walk away. That it's our choice. But right now...I think...the choice is up to you. Do you...pity her?" He asked.

"No." Emmyren shook her head, "If I did, I feel it would be an insult to her. I envy the strength she has. Even after she was torture...she was still able to push herself to move on. I wish I could have said goodbye to her before Aversa came but I was afraid. I am happy she can speak again but...I can't help but feel guilty that it is because of me, she was tortured." She croaked, the tears threatening to fall.

"Aunty, I think you should talk to her. Sophia I mean. And also...thank you. I'm glad Teacher was able to meet you. I think you both needed each other. To see things from the perspective of the other." Morgan smiled softly to her as her eyes went wide.

"Thank you..." she closed her eyes as she gave him a warm smile, her tears finally falling.

"Oh! I nearly forgot." Morgan reached into his pocket and pulled out a red gem necklace, "Teacher said to give this to you! It's a gift! She wanted to give to you herself but considering how Aversa is..." he grumbled.

Emmyren nodded as he handed it to her and then she put it on. The necklace had tear-shaped ruby with a brand of Naga on it.

"It's beautiful. When she returns, I will be sure to thank her." He said and he nodded.

_What no one but Derrick and Sophia knew, was that it was the same necklace that was also given to Phila._

**Chapter 14: Twisted Tears**

**[------]**

**_Chapter 14 complete! Look forward to the next chapters because it is the time! Also, I want to shout out to Stormtide Leviathan! Congratulations man on the final of your story, Stolen Remedy! That was an emotional roller coaster. Thank you for the amazing story. Ans for you readers, I highly recommend reading it._ **

****

**_Here are some stories that I also recommend to you all reading!_ **

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**_As well as Aberration by RedXEagl3, his story is ending soon too!_ **

**_Entrapped by Cavik! It's getting good!_ **

**_Shattered by Chifle!_ **

**_Rigged from the Start by TheBobcat18!_ **

**_Whispers and Songs by Howling Armadillo!_ **

**_All The World's a Sale by Narwhal Lord!_ **

**_Those Who Can't Teach by Mixed Valence!_ **

**_Idiosyncrasy by OCfan11!_ **

**_A Dragon's Promise by legendary stvsrt!_ **

**_Sea of Stars by Grand Paladin Tyrux!_ **

**_Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid by LowerBlack!_ **

**_Teacher's Pet by ToBlazePurple!_ **

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**_That's all! If you guys want to chat or even get small preview snippets of upcoming stories and chapters or want advice to help improve your writing, come join the discord!_ **

**_discord. gg/9XG3U7a_ **


	15. Don't Speak Her Name!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with art! Drew the deadlord. However I did cover the face because it would give spoilers. But this is how the unknown one looks like.

**\- Plegia Desert -**

The old abandoned fort of Plegia was made into a temporary base for the Ylisse army. They already fended off Plegain soldiers and Grimleal mages. For now, they have to come up with a plan. Lysithea let go of a tired sigh as she was busy with Robin on organizing the tomes that will be used for battle. Not to mention that they are waiting for news from Gaius. The double agent in Plegia has been very resourceful, reporting what is going on. As well as...

"Sophia..." Lysithea muttered and Robin looked over to her, worried.

"Is everything alright Lysithea?" The tactician asked and the girl let go of another sigh.

"I'm just worried about Sophia. The last response we got from her was around 2 months ago. To be honest...I was surprised when Gauis reported to us what Grimleal was making her do. I honestly expected that they were going to make her horrific things or to her. Make her fight us. But..." she turned to her, "I never expected that...they would make heal the land and people."

"I admit, even I was surprised to learn of it." Robin hummed as they each picked up a pile of tomes and began to walk, "The news honestly made Chrom be surprised as well. The double agent reported that they had her revive the earth vein." They walked out of the tent and headed towards another.

"Wait, the earth vein? That shouldn't be possible. Only those who are descendants of The Gaia clan can activate them." Lysithea gasped as they entered the tent where the others were.

"Just on time!" Chrom smiled as they placed the tomes down on a table, "We were discussing our next movement. Our spy reported there has been unusual activity going on lately in the capital." He states as he pointed to the city on the map.

"Unusual activity?" Robin raised an eyebrow as she walked over to the map.

"Yup." Khan Flavia let go of a sigh, "The Grimleal have been in a panic frenzy as of lately. Their little Holy Hierophant has gone missing."

"What?!" Lysithea yelled out as she slammed her hands on the table, "What do you mean Sophia has gone missing?!"

"Come down girl." Khan Basilio chuckled, "The good news is that because of your friend going missing, we've been able to get more information regarding where the execution will take place. However....it is unsettling. You all noticed the weather, right?" He asked.

"What about the weather?" Kellem asked and Miriel sniffed the air a bit.

"How odd...." she muttered, "It's the scent of the sea."

"Plegai does not get rain during winter. It is dry land in the cold." Gregor says as the others began muttering to themselves.

**THUNDER!**

"KYYYAAAAAHHH!" Nowi, Sumia, and Lissa scream at the sudden boom of thunder, the three jumping to hug each other.

"I don't like thunder!" Nowi whines as were shaking.

"It's only a little thunderstorm. Nothing too b---!!" Unfortunately for Vaike, that speech got cut short when a lightning bolt suddenly struck down far too close to the tents, leaving the patch of sand, now turned to glass.

Complete silence. No one could utter a single word till Frederick coughed.

"Pardon but I believe for the safety of us all, a barrier should be set up for these next few days. Miriel, Lysithea, Ricken, and Felix, I trust you three to set it up?" He says and the four nodded as they quickly went to do just that.

"Okay, that was far too close for comfort." Chrom chuckles a bit nervously as they went back to the map.

"At least it wasn't a dead lord." He thought as his memory traveled back to the time the Risen first appeared.

When his Falchion clashed with the blade of the royal blue, titanium white, and gold armor Deadlord. Their blades created sparks each time as if they rejected each other. Its face is hidden by the helmet of an ancient knight, with wing-like horns on it. The only thing Chrom could see was its crimson eyes looking at him with nothing but hatred and murder. He was nearly cut in half by the dead lord if it wasn't for Alm and Marth interfering. It gave one final roar before it retreated, along with the Risen it commanded.

"The barrier is done. We should be fine now." Felix came back into the tent, frowning at how soaking wet he got.

"It's odd." Ricken muttered as he came in, "It's raining but the water tastes salty. Like seawater. We're not even close to the ocean."

"Is there any sort of magic interference?" Sthal asked and could hear many of their mounts panicking outside.

Those that rode horses, pegasus, wyverns, or griffins quickly ran out to try and calm them down.

"No. Thankfully not," Miriel said as wiped her glasses dry.

She scowls when they become foggy again and takes them off to clean them once more.

"But Lysithea did check to see if this base was beneath an earth vein. Did you know they were once called _Dragon Veins_ during the time that Archanea was first flourishing?" Miriel said as she put on her glasses once more but then groaned when they became foggy... _again_.

"What does that have to do with Lysithea's research?" Vaikie raised an eyebrow and she sent him a glare.

"Perhaps if you would have put a hold to your caterwauling, then you would have been able to listen to my lesson." Miriel huffs a bit.

"Here we go again." Lon'qu groans as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Anyhow!" Miriel quickly said, now applying a thin layer of wax on her glasses, "This is based on an old legend of the Mystic Kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido. Lysithea mentions that the earth veins were a bit similar to it. It said that the power to use Dragon Veins is said to have been inherited from dragon ancestors. Those who possess this ability can alter the outcome of the battle, as effects vary from creating new paths, drying up rivers to create more terrain, creating regeneration spots, freezing enemies, or consuming their weapons. And who here has an ancestor that received Naga's blood?" And everyone turned to look over to Chrom and Lissa.

"We swear we know none of this." Lissa put her hands up quickly as her brother nodded.

"This is all new news to me. Where is Lysithea anyway?" Chrom asked.

"I'll go check on her." Felix sighs as he goes out of the tent to fetch the woman.

He walked through the pathway, seeing everyone's tents, and headed towards Lysithea till he heard her voice, but it sounds like she is talking to someone. He walked closer to the area of the back of her tent, which was a bit closer to the woods.

"Incredible." Lysithea was heard gasping as he hid behind a tree, "The earth vein is healed. That explains why many parts of Plegia that are desert are now growing vegetation."

"I honestly do not know how to feel about this." That sounded Frederick's voice.

The knight let out a small huff as Lysithea stood up from touching the ground with her hand.

"We have our enemies attacking Ylisse and they wanted your companion to " _heal_ " the land? Not to also mention they call her the Shadow Exalt! Which I find to be very insulting to Lady Emmeryn. How dare the Grimleal use such a name on their false prophet?" Frederick said coldly while Lysithea just let go of a sigh.

"You don't know what the people of Plegia went through...." She said a bit bitterly, "Yes, it has been 15 years since the war but the damage done by Ylisse is permanent. Lands like this," she spread out her hands, "that once flourished with life became desolate. Life could not grow. People, innocent civilians were forced to move. Children and people on both sides lost their loved ones. Grudges from 15 years ago are still alive to this day. Now..." she shook her head, "It feels like those grudges have now taken shape."

She walked a bit away from him and looked up to the now thundering sky. The rain was falling hard but it was seen only running down the barrier like a wave of ocean water.

"Did you know," she raised her hand as if she was catching water droplets, "they say that when it rains, that it is the Mother Earth crying." She let go of another sigh as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a watch.

"......Mother...father.....I don't know what to do..." she held the watch close to her chest, "Great First Lady of House Ordelia....what would you do at this moment...Lady Silque." She muttered as she looked back to the watch.

Frederick was silent as he observed her. As much as he hates to admit it, Lysithea had a point. Both countries were hit hard during the years of the war and after. For Ylisse, the people took out the anger on Lady Emmeryn because they believed she would become like her father. For Plegia, famine and starvation hit the country brutally, killing many. Both countries had lands that were destroyed and the people were forced to migrate.

He looked back to her and blinked multiple times once he saw the watch.

"That watch." He muttered and Lysithea looked at him confused.

"What about it?" She asked as he quickly went into his pocket and took out a the...same watch.

"Why do you have a Mila's Turnwheel?!" Lysithea screeched as she noticed the colors of red and gold on the one Frederick held.

Hers had the colors of blue and silver.

"Mila's Turnwheel? I have never heard of such a thing. Do you mind explaining?" He asked and she nodded.

"Mila's Turnwheel is a relic said to be tied to the goddess, Mila. It was said to have the ability to grant visions of the past and future to the user. Silque, the founder and first Lady of House Ordelia, was a member of the Novis Priory. She had a Mila's Turnwheel of her own which she was tasked with delivering to King Alm. This was before Alm and Cecilia before King and Queen of Valentia. Eventually, the king returned the watch to Lady Silque after the war. The second one belonged to Queen Celica. Why do you have it? It was recorded that it was lost!" She looked at him shocked.

"Sigh...A mage I spoke to during our time in Ferox. She dropped it. Unfortunately, she disappeared before I could return it to her." He pressed the small button and the top part of it opened, "The only clue I have is this picture." He showed her the picture of a light orange-haired Older woman with a young crimson orange hair girl grinning and with dark green hair with a nervous smile.

Frederick gently handed it to her, the young woman holding it as if it was made of glass.

"Do you mind if I use some of my magic? I may be able to pinpoint who this belongs to." Lysithea said and he nodded.

Gently letting some of her magic flow into the watch, the gears on it began to turn and click, the inside glowing a faint glow. She could feel something. Above the watch, a projection formed as she kept her concentration.

" _Papa!"_ She nearly dropped it by surprise when crimson emerald eyes were shown, " _Look what I found! Grandma's watch!_ " The little girl looked like she was holding it as she ran.

"Oh, dear. You shouldn't be going through your grandmother's things!" The green-haired adult screeched as he quickly walked up to her and picked her up, " _You'll be in big trouble if you drop it, young lady._ "

" _But papa!_ " The little girl grinned, " _It's pretty!_ "

The projection suddenly went static and showed a young woman with crimson orange-colored hair, covering her eyes. She wore strange clothing but...they could hear the faith sounds of hiccups and sobs.

" _Why....why...WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE MY FAMILY TAKEN AWAY FROM ME?!_ " The young woman roared as she grabbed the nearest thing and threw it at where the watch was placed.

The two could only watch in shock as they saw the girl suddenly gained and ran to the shelf where the watch was on before it dropped to the floor. The girl dropped to her knees speaking frantically as her hands trembled as she picked up the watch.

" _Pleasepleasepleasedontbebroken! Don'tdontdontdontplease_!" The girl sobbed as she kept looking at the watch all around.

Her tear-stained face and puffy red eyes could be seen, the same colors of crimson and emerald. The girl let tears of joy fall as she held the watch. She was sobbing and wailing loudly as she held it to her chest.

"Who is this...?" Frederick's throat felt numb as he barely said anything because of what they were seeing.

The image then changed once again but this time it wasn't crimson eyes but curious emerald ones, as if studying the watch.

" _I had no idea grandma let you keep her watch._ " The owner of those eyes said as she walked near a mirror.

It revealed a young woman with emerald-colored hair with a single streak of orange-red. She wore a strange white cloak and other clothing, her hair was tied up in a ponytail.

" _Why are you going through my things, Iris?_ " A tried voice spoke back as the woman named Iris gently put the watch down.

" _I was curious. It's been 3 years since I heard anything from you. I...thought you were dead._ " The woman named Iris muttered softly as the owner of the tried voice spoke.

"Wait...I know this voice." Lysithea's eyes slowly went wide as the watch was picked up and revealed a woman with dark indigo blue hair that's shoulder length.

There were dark circles under her eyes as she looked at Iris with a tired expression.

" _I'm very much alive. Just....been working on my job._ " Sophia sighs as she puts the watch on her desk and sits down.

" _I understand_." Iris sighs, " _Say, want to go get a coffee or a boba tea? It's been a while since we hung out._ "

Sophia just glanced at her and let go of a tired sigh.

" _Fine. You pay for today though_." Sophia muttered and Lysithea suddenly screeched when her hand felt like it was on fire.

She quickly let go of the watch, and thankfully it landed on the soft sand.

"It kicked me out!" She looked at the watch shocked.

"What?" Frederick looked at her like she was crazy.

"I'm serious! It felt like the watch knew I was going in too deep and kicked me out! It felt...it felt like someone was trying to burn me alive." Lysithea muttered as she used to heal.

"Are you alright? Should I take you to Lissa?" He asked and she shook her head as he carefully picked up the watch.

"No need. I can handle myself but...." her eyes landed back on the watch, "Why....does Sophia have one? This belongs to her. Why does she have it?"

**\- Time Passed: Unknown: Location: Unknown -**

"Ow!" It felt like she landed on a pile of bricks.

Sophia groans as she forced herself to stand up. Her hands touched the stone floor. It felt prickly, wet. Almost slimy. She can smell seawater and look around. Her vision adjusting to the darkness as she looked around. Lush green plants that covered stone and pillars. Trees that had silver-colored flowers with pink tips. The luminous shine of the petals made it look like stars were hovering over her. The field of grass is so green, flowers of all colors all around. Sophia let go of a shaky breath as she felt her veins pulse as if her energy was being drained. Her vision fully adjusted as she saw the Deadlord, Bryhildr, staring ahead. Sophia forced herself to walk since she still felt very drained from the ritual.

"We went through a fucken Outrealm gate...I thought they were gone..." Sophia grunted as she used some of the trees as support.

" **We only have three hours.** " Bryholdr suddenly spoke as she began to walk.

As she walked straight ahead, the grass and flowers withered under her feet as she continued her path. She was leaving death in her trail. Sophia followed after her as they walked. The more they did, the more she noticed the clear star sky. The area seemed to be surrounded by mountains. She noticed they were now out of the forest and walking through an old village. People no longer live here yet...

" **It feels familiar doesn't it?"** Bryhildr muttered as she stopped as if waiting for Sophia to catch up.

"Where are we?" Sophia coughed as she noticed a few specks of blood on her hand.

" **What was once a prosperous nation. We are in the city of what was once the Kingdom of Grannvale. Ha...It is all so clouded**." Bryhildr whispered as she continued to walk.

The more Sophia looked around, the more she could see blurred visions of people running around. Children and women smiling. Men and knights interacting. Suddenly, the happy visions were blurred with the place in flames, people running for their lives, or slaughtered. The more they walked the more the visions intensified. Sophia desperately tried to stop herself from screaming as they suddenly came to a halt.

Bryhildr turned to look at a giant stone monument, about the height of a 4-floor house. Names were etched onto it in the ancient language of Archanea that unfortunately, Sophia did not know how to read. The Deadlord looked like she just glided on the floor as she walked to the monument. Silver-colored tears fell from her mismatched colored eyes as she read the names at the moment.

" **Come here."** Bryhildr motioned her and Sophia obeyed as she stood in front of the monument.

" **Make flowers bloom** ," Bryhildr muttered and Sophia understood.

The woman had questions. Was is this dead lord truly a servant of Grima? From what she remembered from the game, the Deadlords were terrifying. They served Loptous and Grima. They were the definitions of nightmares. Yet this dead lord seemed to be showing signs of humanity. Of what it once was. Sophia knelt and muttered a small prayer in her native tongue. Gently she touched the ground, allowing some of her magic to activate the earth vein. Forget-me-knots, baby's breath, acepilices, and white lilies. She looked over to Bryhildr, who nodded in approval.

" **Let us continue**."

**[-----]**

The more they walked, the more old architecture was shown. The place held an aura that showed that the kingdom went through many hardships. They kept walking till they reached what was once a gate. The old stone crumbled and looking around, the structure was once a castle. Again, the familiar sensation. Sophia had never been here before. She wondered if it was Bryhildr's influence.

" **You are confused,"** Bryhildr muttered as they began walking up the stone stairs.

"I can feel your emotions. I don't understand. You serve Grima as well as Loptous. You...almost act human." She muttered unsure as the dead lord stopped for a brief moment.

" **Grima? That is a name I am not familiar with. However.....** " she turned to her with a terrifying look in her eyes, " **Never speak the other name in front of again! Remember that girl! Especially since you and I are bound!** " She refers to the veins on the woman's arms

"I didn't summon you." Sophia hissed as the Deadlord suddenly appeared in front of her like a phantom.

" **Oh, but you did**." Bryhildr pearly white teeth could be seen a bit through the black and silver miasma, " **You rejected sacrifices. You refused innocent blood to spill on those corrupted tiles. The Dark Lords spells may have allowed me to be born but it was your will that created me.** " She sneered.

"My will?" Sophia looked at her surprised as the deadlord (lady) let go of a possessed giggle.

" **The lamp**." Bryhildr pointed to her heart, " **It has chosen you. Only time will tell if you will see bliss or despair**." And back she turned to walk the stairs

"I did not summon you," Sophia growled as Bryhildr just scoffed as they kept walking.

" **Keep telling yourself that Tainted Blood**." The Deadlord just rolled her eyes.

A few minutes passed and they arrived at the entrance of the ruined castle. There was no door because the passage of time had caused it to crumble. Inside they walked the halls that once had the highest quality of carpets. Now nothing but dust or small bits that remain were being eaten away by bugs. Walls that once held paints of most likely a royal family, were now empty. Rooms that once had furniture and people slept in, were empty or crumbling away. The roof was no better. There parts that have caved in and the chunks of stones on the floor were proof. The more they walked, the more Bryhildr wept silver tears.

" **It is all a blur...** " Bryhildr raised her hands as she touched her face, " **This place feels so nolgastic yet I can not remember why. Why do I weep and despair when I walk these forgotten halls?** " She asked herself as her voice cracked.

The Deadlord suddenly made a sharp turn to the left and then a right and then to the middle. They arrived at an old wooden door that was just barely intact. Sophia carefully pushed it open, seeing what was once a library.

" **It is strange**." Bryhildr muttered as she walked in, " **I can feel I used to come here. Almost as if a pastime. The books here were lost to time...but around a few remain that can still be salvaged.** " She pointed to a particular old shelf.

Indeed, there were about 5 books on it and her hands shook as she was debating if she should pick one up or not. Because chances are the book is most likely over 2,000 years old and it may turn to dust at the slightest touch.

" **Use recovery** ," Bryhildr muttered and Sophia gave her an unsure look but did it anyway.

Before her eyes, the old book looked like its age was reversing. The old tattered cover suddenly mended itself as if it was never touched. The pages that were crumbling suddenly looked new. Sophia held the book in her hands, barely able to comprehend what had just happened.

" **Use Recover on the rest of the books**."

**[------]**

As much as Sophia hated the situation she was in, there was a bit of joy in taking the 5 ancient books that were still left. Looking around, whatever treasures once remained were either stolen or taken to someplace safe. Brynhild was silent as they walked around now on the third level of the castle. The hallways seemed darker and there were cracks on the floor. Mostly either from wasting away or some sort of battle took place here in this castle years ago. The name Grannvele sounded familiar to her when it was first mentioned. Unfortunately for Sophia, she never got to play Genealogy of the Holy War because the game was only released in Japan. Not also mention the..other _unsavory_ elements it has. She only knows bits and snippets of the story because of FEH and from reading the history books. She was fond of the story of Deirdre and Sigurd.

"Wait....." Sophia suddenly froze as she watched Bryhildr enter another room, "Sigurd...Brynhildr..." she slapped her hand over her mouth to quickly quite the gasp that she was about to release.

"......It...can't be..." Sophia muttered as she carefully walked to the room and saw Bryhildr staring at an area where there was once a bed.

She looked around, seeing faint outlines of gold, blue and white that faded away through time. She then saw the woman looking to the corner where there seem to be about 12 miniature squares on the floor. Sophia recognized those marks, they belonged to a crib. Or should she say, cribs? It made sense why there almost seemed to be a childish aura in this room specifically. It used to be a nursery.

" ** _Faint...a blur..._** " The dead lord muttered, " **Children...little feet running..." they walked around, "Then...darkness...it devoured one...the only way to free that child...was to kill them**."

".........." Sophia only responded in silence as they left the room and began walking down the hallways once more.

This time they walked down the stairs that were built in a spiral formation as it led them to the back of the ruined castle. The war had faint markings that there used to be paintings hanged on them. Two giant ones had some moss growing on the edges. Placing her hand on one, she could feel love, warmth, kindness. She then touched the other one and it had a similar feeling, yet it almost felt one-sided. The more they walked, and then down the hallways once more, this time to a more forest part of the area of the castle.

That's when Sophia felt the temperature drop and shivered. She made a small flame float around her to keep herself warm but she could feel her magic almost slowly being drained. Not painfully but as if to keep Bryhildr in physical form. _A symbiotic relationship_. The clouds moved to allow the moonlight to illuminate the area. The sight made the hairs on her arms and neck stand up.

"A graveyard..." Sophia sucked in her breath as she looked around, seeing the different tombstones.

Some she could tell were made of white marble stone or black lava ones. Others that once had names inscribed, from tombstones were cracked or crumbling away. However, the deeper they walked till they arrived at the edge of a cliff where the view of the forest and mountains could be seen. It was a beautiful sight but Sophia turned the giant stone monument that had faded marks of gold.

" **This is...the royal family graveyard**." Bryhildr began speaking, " **The names of the royal families through the years have been carved here. That much I remember...but also.**." she made her index finger make a star symbol in the air.

The magic circle for light magic began to glow brightly and a specific name glowed brightly on the monument. Sophia could hear the sounds of clicking as if a vault was opening. Slowly, it looked like a puzzle was being unlocked. A few more minutes passed and a book floated out of the magic circle, gently landing in Bryhildr's arms. The Deadlord also pulled out staff from the magic circle and she handed the book to Sophia.

" **Let us go. We have my weapons**." Was all Bryhildr said as they began to walk away from the monument.

At least...that's what they thought.

The minute Sophia heard a rustle in the bushes, she took out her charkarms. And she damns glad she did because there was a risen charging at her. Her body spun like a dancer as she slashed the risen mage in the chest. It let out a monstrous roar as its body turned to dust.

"Risen should not be here!" Sophia yelled as she noticed more suddenly appearing in groups of five or more.

Bryhildr began laughing madly as her hair began rising in the air. Her aura grew malicious as her eyes became furious.

" **HOW DARE YOU FALLEN DESECRATE THE GRAVE OF GRANVELLE**!" The Deadlord roared and raised her staff high in the air.

The crystal orb glowed brightly, erasing the risen insight.

" **We need to go now! The gate is closing!** " Bryhildr yelled and the two bolted as fast as they could.

The more they ran, the more they kept fighting. They knew they would be there. They kept running and running. Jumping over rocks, through the villages, the once lively city. The more they ran, the more they had to keep cutting down Risen. Bryhildr blasted them away with her staff and Sofia's clothing was bloodstained because of the ones she cut down. It felt like hours that they were running but it didn't matter.

"We're almost at the gate!" Sophia yelled as they now had to get past the hill they came from. 

"They have the gate surrounded." Sophia's face turned to one of horror as she noticed the amount of Risen.

"Why are they here?" Sophia yelled as she and Bryhildr jumped down the cliff.

Physical attacks are taking too much of her energy so she needs to switch to magic. The tome she had now was the one Bryhildr got minutes ago. It was better than nothing. Sophia took a quick deep breath as she pulled it out and opened it. Placing her hands on it, she felt the letters on its pages and....

"GHHAAAAAA!!!" Sophia screamed in agony as the tome was rejecting her.

The skin and her arms and legs, cuts were made as the terrifying magic of the tome felt like she was being set on fire. The risen seemed more motivated as the two as they charged. Sophia kept taking deep breaths as the light magic kept crackling around her as if attacking her.

" **You fool! Only those of Naga's blood can wield that tome!** " Bryhildr roared as she used her staff to keep attacking.

"That doesn't matter right now!" Sophia yelled back as her hands trembled as she raises her arms, "I'm returning alive and that is TTTTTHHHAAAAATT!" She screamed with all her might.

Her chest began glowing suddenly as the gray seemed to clash with the light tome. However, the magic seemed to stabilize itself, even if for a moment.

" **The lamp...** " Bryhildr thought as her eyes studied the young woman who brought her hands up, her veins glowing like a giant of light formed above them.

The Holy light made the risen scream in agony that Bryhildr quickly turned herself to dust to escape it. Sophia gritted her teeth as some sort of spiral form coiled around her and roared.

"PERISH!" She roared and then the light exploded, lighting up the whole place.

Colors of red, blue, green, and more were seen. Like crystals and rainbows. The stars lighting up as if responding to the roar that was heard. The risen that were present screamed and turned to dust. The last remnants of human memories they had when they once were, now laid to rest, never to rise again. The light faded away, the dust of the risen blown away by the wind. The air around the former Kingdom felt purified, cleaned. The plants that withered away breath life once more. Souls that were still attached to the land were finally able to rest. Sophia panted as she forced herself to not fall on her knees and began limping towards the Outrealm gate. Brynhild finally materialized herself and made the woman float next to her.

" **You did well**." Was all the deadlord said and took one last glance towards the former Kingdom.

It was only for a brief moment, but she the faint outline of two individuals of blue-colored hair, one of light purple hair and one of dark red hair, waving goodbye as she and Sophia went through the Outrealm gate.

" **So long...my home**."

**[--------]**

It felt like they landed in Antarctica. Sophia screamed when she was suddenly splashed by a wave of seawater. It didn't help that seaweed was now stuck on her tattered dress!

" **My...you look wonderful.** " Bryhildr materialized next to her.

The sounds of cracks were heard and the two turned to see the outrealm gate crumbling to pieces. Brynhild walked up to it and picked up the last remaining blue stone on the gate, and handed it to her.

" **Use it. It can help cast Extreme Warp without the after-effects.** " She muttered, " **Also...** " Sophia looked at her confused.

**SLAP!**

Sophia's eyes went wide as her head was made to the left, her cheek stung as she gently touched it. Bryhildr was trembling as her silver tears fell as she looked down at the women furiously but also a storm of sorrow in her heterochromatic eyes.

" **You fool! Why did you use the Book of Naga?! You have no Holy Blood of the Divine One! If the lamp in your body had not stabilized the magic, you would have been nothing but cinders right now!** " The Deadlord roared furiously.

Sophia just looked at her shocked, too stunned to even speak.

"I...I...it...we... the moment..." Sophia could barely choke out as the Deadlord just threw her hands in the air in frustration.

" **Reckless! Stupid! Fool! Selfless! You! You! Arrrghh! Why do you remind me of that child?!** " Bryhildr yelled as she quickly turned away from her before she did some she would later regret.

"Not the first time someone has slapped me for those reasons..." Sophia let go of a tried sigh and walked towards a boulder that was far from the ocean water.

She sat down and suddenly all exhaustion just fell on her. Her body collapsed onto the flat surface of the boulder and felt cool. Gods, she just wanted to close her eyes as they were looking up to the night sky.

" **Don't you dare close your eyes.** " Brynhildr was suddenly above her, looking at her coldly, " **We need to return to Plegia.** "

"Let me rest for a bit," Sophia said in a monotone tone and just wanted to sleep.

" **Fine. Rest for this night. But in the morning we will warp to Plegia. And...** " she handed her a bundle of clothing, " **I restored it using my magic. Use it. You should be able to disguise yourself as someone else. And make sure to use magic to change your hair color.** " She sounded like a coddling mother.

The only thing Sophia wanted right now, was to sleep.

**\- The Next Day -**

Colors of white and light purple, long sleeves were a bit similar to a kimono. Trims of gold it had. A gold thin crown she wore on her head. Her shoulders were left exposed as she put on the purple cape that came with the dress. Taking her dagger, Sophia cut her hair and made it shoulder length, just like she had it when she first arrived in this world. Placing her hands on her head, she made her hair dye change the color of mint green. She also put on a white veil that hid her face. Sophia looked at herself on the reflection of the water and frowned.

"I look like Flayn if she wore her Saint Ceethlean clothing," Sophia commented as she put on the bluestone like a bracelet.

" **Are you ready?** " Brynhildr asked in her mind.

The dead lord could materialize and dematerialize itself when it wants. Its bond with Sophia is that she provides magic to it. Brynhildr said to think of it as a master and familiar relationship. Sophia took a deep breath as she raised her hand, seeing the white gloves she wore now. The veins left permanent scars and the most she could do to cover them up was to use gloves.

"Ready," Sophia muttered as she opened her hands and began to chant the hymn.

_Gate to Gate ~_

_Path to Path ~_

_Take me to the Motherland of Sand ~_

_Root of the earth, lead me to my path!_

The bluestone glowed brightly as the magic circle formed underneath her and then two more above her. Sophia looked up to the sky. She was not one to pray, but she prayed to Naga that her friends were safe. The magic circles glowed, light taking over her vision.

"I'm coming. Please be safe everyone."

**\- Plegia -**

She felt her feet land on the ground softly. Carefully, Sophia opened her eyes and looked around. She seemed to be in some dusty old abandoned room. She could tell the windows were covered with wood and some sunlight peeked out. Carefully, looking around, she noticed the wooden door was worn out. She walked towards the back door and picked the lock. Carefully she walked out and was in a back alley. Sophia could see soldiers running around as well as citizens were all in a buzz. Some of the older generations looked happy, a cruel smile on their lips while those of the younger generation weren’t happy at all.

"What is going on? What happened while I was gone?" Sophia thought as she carefully walked out.

She walked with the crowd, confused till she felt someone bump into her.

"Whooopppss~ Sorry Laaasss~" It was a drunk soldier and she then stopped to look her up and down, "Well ya something~ What pretty thing like you here?" They asked.

"I'm a bit lost. Say, what day is it?" Sophia asked innocently.

"What?! Don't you know?! Today is the execution of the bloody Whore of the Exalt!" He said proudly as the color drained from Sophia's face.

"Finally! Ylisse will pay! We won this war!" The soldier cheered and turned to talk back to her but she was gone.

Sophia had run to hide in another alleyway. She began shaking as she looked to the wall. Her eyes widened as she registered the information.

"No...No way...I've...I've been gone for 11 days...?!" She squeaked as she looked around desperately.

She could see people gathering at the center of the Capital, where Grima's bones were.

"That means...Henry..Morgan! I need to find them!" Sophia was on the verge of running to go find the others when suddenly the bells began ringing.

She stopped and quickly joined the crowd, praying that her friends were going with the plan they came up with. Sophia walked quickly as the citizens gathered around the central. Above the tip of the Grima's horn, was Emmeryn as she looked out to the land. A berserker with his ax ready to lop off her head. Gangrel stood at the other side proudly as Aversa and Arca were also. The king grinned wickedly as he looked around.

"Good people! Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome, one and all!" Gangrel boomed as his hand was spread out, as if the king of the world, "Your anticipation electrifies the air! We ALL remember the crimes of Ylisse... Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW? YEEEEEEEEEEEES! Finally, we will have JUSTICE!" Many in the crowd broke into cheers.

"No...this wrong...." Sophia took a step back and looked around.

There was a mixture of fear and excitement in the faces of many. Many saying finally that their loved ones will be avenged. Or Naga is damned. Sophia gritted her teeth but suddenly went still when she noticed hooded figures in the crowd. Gangrel continued his speech to rally the people up. Sophia nearly screeched when she felt someone suddenly stand next to her. A bit shorter than her but they only gave a glance. A single strand of olive-colored hair was seen.

"EXECUTIONER! If you would be so kind..." Gangrel waved his hand to the Berserker.

They raised their axe to strike Emmeryn down but...

It never came. It was as if time slowed down as one of the hooded figures raised their head and shouted.

"Flavia!"

"I've got him!"

The sound of an axe flying through the air and suddenly strikes the berserker right in the chest, killing him in an instant. The body falling from up high. The capital was filled with the screams of citizens as they ran for their lives. The hooded person smirked and removed their hood, revealing a woman of crimson eyes and silver-colored hair in long pigtails.

"EVERYONE: NOW!" Robin yelled and all the hooded figures revealed themselves.

Plegian soldiers began to flood the place and ready for battle. Sophia managed to catch sight of Tharja near the entrance of the capital and not too far was Derrick in that special armor he showed her a few months ago. It was made so no one could see his identity. The first half of the Shepherds army was outside the capital and had to get in while the other half was in charge of clearing the soldiers. Sophia quickly pulled out her chakarms and began cutting down the soldiers that attacked her. Especially the drunk bastard from earlier.

"I need to get to Emmeryn." She thought and saw civilians still running. Thankfully Ylisse soldiers were able to tell the difference between civilians and soldiers and did not attack the innocent.

"Take out all the soldiers first! We'll deal with the Mad King later!" Chrom's voice could be heard commanding the army as he led the first half.

Libra would join in a bit but for now, Garngel could be heard to kill them all and it sucked that Aversa was by his side. Arca was leading the soldiers to fight the army that had managed to infiltrate the city.

"Hyha!" Sophia threw her charkarms like boomerangs and the two lodged into the chest of two soldiers from Arca's unit.

Quickly she ran to them and pulled them out, the sticking sound of blood splitting could be heard. Sophia saw some civilians doing everything they can to help other civilians escape. The place was a blood field. Soldiers and civilians killed were dead on the ground. 

" **This is the reality of war** ," Brynhildr muttered in her mind as she ran towards the direction of Emmeryn, desperately trying to get to her.

"I just hope she got the necklace!" Sophia growled as she ran and jumped over a few bodies.

You bastard!" Arca roared as she held her ax, and slashed at Kellmen, who managed to defend himself well.

Her wyvern roared at him viciously and had it swoop down to land a strike.

"Gods!" Kellem’s shield cracked a bit because of the amount of force she was using, which he did not expect.

"TAKE THIS YOU BITCH!"

Arca barely had time to even move when she was hit by a blast of lightning. The woman screamed in agony as her eyes went blank and nearly fell off her wyvern if she wasn't strapped on. The wyvern roared and quickly retreated with its master. Kellem saw a mint haired woman panting as her hands crackled with purple lighting.

"Are you alright?" Sophia screeched and the man nodded.

"I'm alright! But, who are you? I am surprised you noticed me." He says and Sophia just shook her head.

"You're pretty easy to notice. Especially with that lance of yours.” She said and threw him pure water, "Use it to heal yourself! Anyhow, I'm an ally. What's the situation?"

"We're trying to break in from the back. A few of us manage to infiltrated but unfortunately, the back gate is still guarded." He said and quickly drank the pure water to heal.

"..........Sigh....I'm going." Sophia said and ran before anyone could stop her.

Soldier after plegian soldier she cut, her eyes cold. It felt like she was reverting to her old self that just didn't care about anything. But right now, this is what she needs to become. This is what she needs to be to survive. The stains of blood on her clothing and ripped off the veil, using magic quickly to change her eye color to brown. The gate at the back of the city burst open and the one leading the other army was Frederick. With him was Lysithea, Felix, and a few of the other Shepards. She didn't spot Basilio so it was mostly he was preparing the escape route.

"Charge!" Frederick pointed the Emperor's Lance forward and the army let out their war cries as they charged in.

Again, Plegia verse Ylisse soldiers ensued. The battlefield became bloodier. From the top of Grima's bones, all Emmyren could do was watch the battlefield. Chrom fought besides Robin and Lissa. Phila was nowhere to be found. Sophia.....gone. For Emmeryn, the world felt as it was crashing down as the weight of sorrow, despair, and regret filled every fiber of her body. She desperately tried to keep her tears from spilling.

"Strong...I must!" The woman forced herself to stand up as she saw the last of wyvern riders in the sky.

Generald Campari was struck down by Falchion, the blade taken out of his chest and gurgling his last words.

"Urgh... Killing me will only...feed Plegia's rage..." the general laughed as life left his eyes.

Chrom looked up and fired a green flare to the sky, the signal for the pegasus knights to make their move. Sophia saw Phila and her battalion speed but quickly towards Emmeryn.

"Your Grace!" Phila yelled as Emmyren looked at her shocked.

"How?!" The Exalt yelled but Phila shook her head.

"Khan Basilio's men freed me. Come, we must hur---!!" A scream from the pegasus knight was heard when multiple arrows were fired, killing about 3 knights in an instant.

Risen began rising all around the capital. Aversa chuckled darkly as her tome glowed crimson as she heard the Ylisse Prince voice crack.

"Damn! Not now!" The prince yelled as Emmyren watched as arrows were fired by risen towards her.

"NO!" Philla yelled and quickly jumped in front of the Exalt.

Droplets of blood fell on Emmyren's face. The Exalt froze as her eyes went wide. Phila coughed and turned to her with a weak smile. Blood dripping from her lips as arrows pierced all over her body.

"Are....you hurt....?" Phila muttered as Emmyren began shaking, this time, the tears fell.

"P-Phila...." the Exalt reached out her hand, the battalion, all killed.

Phila smiled sadly at her beloved and closed her eyes.

"I... Forgive me... Uhh..." and her hand went limp, she and her pegasus dropped down to the ground.

Phila's body landed on top of her pegasus, a sad smile graced her lips. The world was shattering. Emmyren screamed. Cold. Numb. That was all she felt.

**"PPPHHHIIILLLLAAAAA!!"**

Sophia ran as fast as she could, but it was too late. She was too far but...

" **She's alive**." Brynhildr yelled in her mind as she dashed through the city, " **Her landing on her pegasus stopped the killing blow!** "

“Oh, thank god!" Sophia sobbed as she kept running and cut down Risen after Risen.

At this point, she looked like a blood-soaked murderer. She didn't care. She needed to get to Phila and Emmy----

It was like time slowed for her. Slowly down for her. One second there was risen in front of her, in another...

"AAAAAHHHHH!!" The tip of the lance plunged into her left shoulder and suspended her in the air.

She gritted her teeth as she was thrown at a brick wall, the air knocked out of her lungs.

" **Summon me!** " Brynhildr yelled and Sophia was in too much pain as she held her shoulder and looked up to the one responsible.

The sound of metal boots netting the ground was heard as well as a horse snorting. The orange-colored sky did not help at all. Cold brown colored eyes looked down at her as she stood up, slouching a bit forward as she held her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding. Armor of blue, silver, and gold, a suit underneath. Brown hair disheveled because of fighting. They pointed the bloody lance at her.

"Your life ends here Plegain General!" Frederick roared.

" **He'll kill you!"** Brynhildr yelled and Sophia shook her head, pointing to Phila's body.

Anything to show she is an ally.

"P...Phila....is...alive..." she managed to croak out barely and Frederick's eyes went wide.

**[-------]**

Blood. It was all a bloodbath. For everything she loves falls apart before her eyes. Emmeryn listened as her brother and the tactician realized the battle was lost. Yet both refused to sacrifice her. Emmeryn listened as Gangrel threatened to kill them all if Chrom even made a move. The mad king demanded the Fire Emblem. The sacred relic that has been protected for generations since the time of King Marth. Emmeryn didn't want more bloodshed.

"I'll kill you!" Chrom roared with venom as he used his sword for support.

"Go ahead! I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! ...And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt? ...No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!" Gangrel cackled as rage-filled the prince.

Again, the Fire Emblem was demanded. Again, Robin and Chrom refused to sacrifice her.

"How much more blood must be shed?" Her heart cried out as she saw her people held hostage.

"I will count to three!" Gangrel yelled as the Risen archer pulled back their arrows, ready to fire.

"No!" Emmeryn's heart cried out.

"Gangrel, hold! ...You win. Everyone, lay down yo—" She would not allow this.

_Enough was enough._

"No, wait!" Emmeryn yelled and many looked at her shocked.

Gangrel grinned cruelly as he turned towards her.

"SILENCE!" He roared as Chrom muttered her name.

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" Emmeryn said as she looked at him, the man just scoffed.

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people... Then prepare to meet the ground and your maker! That is unless someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW! I thought you learned your lesson when we put that bloody _witch_ dead in front of you!" Gangrel snarled as the memory of her friend's bloody body was brought back.

"......." Emmyren's response was only silence.

Through all her life, for she has strived for peace. For she was able to move on and continue to stand back up no matter how many times she was brought down. _Enough was enough_. She saw her brother speak.

"ALL RIGHT! All right... Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. MAYBE someday we'll face a crisis where MAYBE the Emblem would've helped... But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt... And we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together." Chrom yelled desperately.

Emmeryn smiled sadly as she closed her eyes. It was her turn. The world is cruel. It is a cold and bitter place. But there also rays of sunshine that bring warmth back to the earth. Her tears fell as she placed her hand over the heart.

"Chrom... Th-thank you. I know now what I must do..." it hurt her when his voice cracked, asking what she was up about to do.

_Enough was enough._

"Plegians!" Emmeryn raised her head, her voice loud and clear for those of the land to hear, "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred!!" She began to take steps towards the edge, "From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

Horror befell the faces of many as she was now at the edge of Grima's horn. She looked up to the sky. Seeing a lone eagle fly through the sky. She let go of a sigh. Chrom began running as fast as he could towards her and she could a mint haired woman also running.

"No reaction...Was I wrong, then? Chrom..." She thought as she closed her eyes, memories of her life coming back.

"That's right...Eagles represent courage...strength...healing...intuition..but most of all...." she looked back to her brother and then around.

The Shepherds fight not just for her but their home. She let go of a sigh as she could hear her name being called multiple times to not do it.

 ** _"Hope..."_** she took her steps and smiled as she let herself fall.

Lissa screamed in horror as did many. Emmeryn closed her eyes as she smiled sadly.

"This is some torch I'm passing you...So be it." The future does not end with her.

No. It was only a matter of time. Emmyren thought of her family and friends she made throughout the years. This moment...for others it may not mean much. Many would probably see her like the fool that jumped. But that wasn't it.

_"Chrom...Lissa...Phila...And all my people......Know that I loved you."_

_ Emmyren knew, her role as Exalt was over. Emmyren knew it was time. For the torch has been passed on. It's fire never extinguishes, not even till the end of time. _

**[------]**

"EEEMMMYYRREEENNN!" Chrom roared to the heavens as he fell to his knees, his sister laid dead in her pool of blood.

Sophia dropped to her knees, around 10 feet away, gritting her teeth as she slammed her fist on the ground.

"I was too late...." Sophia sobbed and looked up to see Chrom filled with rage.

"YOU DIE TODAY GANGREL!" The price roared furiously.

Gangrel laughing about her fall and saying her body to be displayed. Not too far from the gates, Lucina and Alm ran as fast as they could but it was too late.

"No..No.." Lucina's voice shook and as the fighting was about to continue...

"What the?" The ground suddenly began trembling all of a sudden, Sophia quickly taking the opportunity to get to Phila.

Quickly placing her fingers on her neck, a small breath of relief left her as she felt Phila had a pulse.

"Gods..please still be alive..." Sophia wept as she quickly ran to Emmyren's body.

Suddenly, it felt like someone poured ice on her. She looked up to the sky, the earthquake becoming stronger as the sky was suddenly dyed red like blood. The sun turned black as a giant magic circle appeared in the air. It's light blinding.

"Hey!" Sophia quickly turned and saw Lysithea running towards her.

The violet-haired girl gasped when she realized who she was but before given the chance, Sophia quickly grabbed her and sent her memories of how to do surgery to the woman's mind. Lysithea screamed as her head pounded, the memories of advance techniques poured in. She panted and looked up to see a sad smile grace Sophia's lips. Before she could say anything, Sophia has already put Phila in her arms along with a bag of tools.

"I trust you to save her!" Sophia yelled and before the girl could reply, she has been warped away again back to Ferox.

The air around the pace became tense and silent as the light faded away. Sophia quickly ran to Emmeryn and checked for a pulse. Just barely she felt it and right when she was going to warp away, she felt it. A cold shiver down her spine as she slowly looked up to the bloody sky. Something was floating there. Slowly, it seemed like it un-curled itself slowly as it floated high in front of the sun. The sky turned even redder as the figure began to become clearer. A figure of woman yet the body was completely black as if they were looking to the void itself. The clothing was almost just barely covering the body. A sort of tattered long-tail purple skirt that was open in the frontline. Long crimson bloody hair flowed in the air like wings flapping. On its chest, you could see the symbol of Grimleal glowing crimson. The purple veil it wore covered its face completely. Crystal covered its hands and legs. It began shaking uncontrollably. Slowly it brought its hands up as if it was looking at them. Then it touched its face. The air around the place was tense, no one could move, no one breathed. Lucina felt like she had become a statue, frozen in fear as the void woman's body suddenly glowed. Like millions of stars and cosmos, she was made from. It began to claw its face through the veil. It let out small muffled screams as then began to claw its own throat. It opens its mouth but....what left it was the roar of a **_monster_**.

**"̴̢͐͝A̴̜̖͂a̸̺͎͗h̵̗̠͛̈́h̴̜͑̇.̵̺̻͐.̷͈͕̈́̓.̵̮͕͛À̶̱̫A̶͇͝A̷̧̔A̴͕͛̑H̶͍͍̔Ḣ̵̟͓H̷̛̥̦Ḧ̴͎́H̴̳̅H̴̡̥͐H̵͈̊H̴͇͗͝H̷̗̜̉͒H̴̻̮͛͠Ḧ̴̨H̶̭̑̐Ĥ̸̱͝Ḣ̷̱!̵̞͍̄!̷͍̓̀"̶̝̄̕**

Terror was the only thing that filled every living being present as the ground shook to its cry as it repeatedly clawed its face through the veil. It kept screaming again and again. The soldiers of Ylisse and Plegia that were killed, suddenly filled with malice, rose from the ground. It roars and cries unlike anything ever before. Lucina, shaken, fell to her knees as she trembled in fear. Robin and Chrom were barely able to snap out of their shocked states along with everyone else. The Deadlord's scream made the Risen begin attacking everything in their sight. Whether it was another Risen or a soldier or didn't matter. They killed and killed.

"What is that....?" Alm could barely say as she managed to make Lucina snap out of it.

Sophia did not know what she was looking at. She quickly took the opportunity to warp Emmeryn to a hidden location and thankfully no one saw. Sophia forced herself up as she was about to run to fight the risen.

"We need to move!" Chrom yelled and he swore the Deadlord made eye contact with him.

It roared even louder as it suddenly snapped its head towards him and lunged.

"NO!" Robin screamed and quickly jumped in front of Chrom, casting a barrier around.

" **E̵̗̯͂h̶͙̊e̷͍̰̔̉h̸̗̟e̵̛͍̦͝h̷̼͠͝H̶̥͂̌Ā̸̝̳̆Ḣ̸̺Ä̵̲́H̶̥̦̏A̷̖̍͘H̴͒͘͜A̷͕͗Ḩ̸̓͠Á̴̹͒H̸̩̰̃̎Ḁ̶̄̕H̵̥̄̇Ạ̵̈́!̵̩̣̏̋** " It began laughing hysterically as its hands slammed onto the barrier, its wicked grin could be seen as cracks began to form.

It laughed and laughed. Robin could barely hold on. The prince and tactician screamed when the barrier exploded and Chrom caught her, barely. His left shoulder was dislocated because of the impact.

 **" Ḧ̵̱́A̶̟̼̽Ḧ̴͕Ą̸̺̓H̶̡͂̎Â̸̳͚Ḣ̴̰Ḁ̴͆H̶̲̎͂Ȧ̸̧͕H̷̪̭̓̈́A̷͙͊̅H̸͖̯̃A̴̟̰̔H̶̨͋̉D̶̺͇B̸͔͛͂S̴̢̞̽J̷͙̬͂̚A̶̺͋̎͜Ḳ̵̦̽̇H̵̳͒Ş̵̬̌H̵̹̓I̷̳̳̅A̷̭̒̈́H̶̢̐͑A̶͉̻̿̕**!̴̝̈͘" It laughed again and six ghoul-like wings sprouted from its head and began destroying everything in its sight.

Buildings were destroyed on the spot, spheres of light thrown all over as it raised its arms to the air.

"MY LORD!" Frederick quickly ran as fast he could towards them.

" **R̴H̷H̴A̶H̶A̵A̷A̵A̷A̷!̸** " The Deadlord’s head suddenly spun back towards him and sent a magic attack.

"What the hell is this?!" Aversa could barely comprehend what was going on.

This was not part of the plan. Who summoned this _monstrosity_? It killed everything in its path. Chrom's and Robin's widened in utter horror as the magic blast was far too big for Frederick to dodge. The knights as eyes widened as all he could do was use his shield. The buildings around him exploded, the blinding light. He yelled in agony as bricks and the buildings crumbled on top of him. The magic destroying everything in its path.

"FREDERICK!" Chrom roared as terror filled him and the others where Frederick once stood, was now nothing but a crumbled building, blood oozing from its small cracks.

"Boy!" The khans rushed in as they quickly grabbed the two "I secured an escape route! We have to flee!"

"No! Frederick and Emm's body!" Chrom yelled and Robin once again was forced to activate a barrier as the Deadlord lunged at them.

" **G̶H̶A̶H̵A̸H̴A̵H̴A̵H̶A̸H̴A̵H̶A̸!̷** " It cracked the barrier once more.

"We're not going to make it!" Robin grunted and fear filled the group's features, its finger burning yet it was trying to grab them but...

**"BRYNHILDR!"**

**" G̶H̵H̷H̵H̸H̵A̷A̸A̵A̶A̴!̷** " The Deadlord suddenly screamed in agony as it was blasted away from them.

Sophia's veins burned as she sprinted as fast as she could towards them. It was an unforgettable sight. Bryhildr stood in front of the group with her staff, glaring furiously as the other deadlord roared as it burst out of the crumbled stones. Its monstrous glare could be felt as its eyes landed on its fellow Deadlord.

"Chrom! Robin!" The group turned to see Marth and Alm running towards them, "You need to leave now!" They yelled as they saw even those of Plegai fleeing for their lives.

The Deadlords lunge at each other, fighting viciously. The unknown one used two large hair wings to attack while its six other's stabbed into the bodies of dead soldiers and civilians. Gritted his teeth as he took one last look and roared.

"SHEPHERDS RETREAT!" They had no choice.

Bryhildr took a glance over to them as she gave a firm nod. Seems the West Khan saw her.

" **Now....** " she turned back to the unknown and roared furiously, it's hair now turning to snakes, **"Time to take care of you!"**

**[---]**

"GO RUN!" Sophia roared as she was helping as many citizens as she could escape.

She could see the Shepherds retreating. The scream of the child suddenly was nearby and she turned.

"Nowi!" She yelled and towards the girl, there were multiple arrows lodged into her left shoulder.

"Who are you?!" The manakete yelled, terrified as Sophia quickly picked her up.

"That's do----AHHHHH!!" The two screamed as multiple Risen charged at them and they were barely in any condition to fight but it was as if a miracle happened.

A roar filled the air as a blast of blue flames surrounded them, killing the Risen. The flames did not burn, only the risen were turned to ashes. Looking up to the sky, it was a beautiful sight. Scales of turquoise and blue, web fins that spread out beautifully. Wings that spread out as its jaw glowed blue as it fired another round of blue flames. Horns that looked like they were made of coral.

"Are you alright?!" They yelled their slit blue colored eyes looked at them worried.

"Who...?" The woman could barely say as they landed next to them.

"Sophia now is not the time to explain!" They said and she recognized that voice, "Tharja along with the rest have already left! Get on along with the girl!" It was Derrick.

"I'm sorry but no!" Sophia yelled and quickly placed Nowi on his giant dragon hand, "GO! GO! JUST GO!"

"But!" Derrick argued back and the two flinched as another explosion took place.

"JUST GO!" Sophia roared and the blue manakete hesitated but took off towards the sky.

"I'm sorry..." Sophia muttered and turned to look back to Bryhildr still fighting.

Even Aversa and Gangrel were now forced to fight Risen.

" **H̶a̵.̵.̵H̴a̴h̷a̷h̴H̸a̶H̴H̵a̷h̸a̶n̶s̸j̸**!"

The deadlord cackled and it suddenly flew to the center of the city. Its hair like wings stretched out like ghoul tentacles all around the surrounding area. Its laugh sounded like the mixture of a possessed woman, a broken record, and static electricity. It laughed and laughed. Its wicked grin was hidden by the veil it wore. Soldiers of Plegia and Ylisse alike were stabbed. Their blood drained as they were alive. The Deadlord laughed even louder as its hands spread out to the crimson sky. The glowing purple cracks on its cosmic body now pulsed red. The blood it drained from the living making it sing the song of the apocalypse. It kept laughing as it threw its head back.

"EVACUATE ALL CITIZENS NOW!" Aversa roared as she beheaded a mage.

Her orders were absolute. The remaining survivors of her army began evacuating citizens as fast as they could. Gangrel gritted his teeth. It was obvious that the _witch_ did not summon this Deadlord nor was it the Ylisse army. The only good thing that came out of this fight was that the Exalt----

"The body is gone!" Gangrel's eyes widened.

"RETREAT!" The king roared.

They now have no choice to leave. Bryhildr made himself disappear and the unknown Deadlord roared furiously as it looked around. Sophia ran to it, stopping as she made the Book of Naga appear in front of her.

" **Stop you fool! You can't win!** " Bryhildr roared in her mind.

The Deadlord froze as it looked down at her from above, its wings flapping furiously. Even if covered in grime and blood, this needed to end now. To make it retreat.

"The earth vein..." Sophia gasped as she felt it pulse underneath her.

" **H̷G̵G̵G̴H̵H̶H̶A̴A̷A̶A̵A̷H̶A̷H̵A̸H̴A̴** " The deadlord roared furiously and lunged at her.

All six wings coming at her like daggers. Sophia took a deep breath as she raised her hands, the ground underneath her glowing brightly as it listened to her command. The Book of Naga glowed brightly. Now she could see it. A bright white spiritual dragon coiled around her as the earth began singing.

" **A̶A̷A̸U̶G̶H̸H̵H̸H̵H̷!̴"̴ ̸** The Deadlord and risen howl as the bright light began to fill the place.

"I will not let you...destroy the land of the people who took me in!" Sophia yelled and the song began.

_Ancient light~_

_Away ~_

_Sing with me tonight ~_

_Mother Earth ~_

_Away~_

_Let us sing ~_

_The song of life ~_

_I breathe in this life, to walk my path ~_

_The future I create, by my own hands ~_

The veins spread out like roots became visible to many. Vines began to sprout suddenly as she felt her veins were on fire. The Deadlord roared furiously as it summoned more Risen. Its wings kept stabbing at her like daggers but she kept singing.

_Full-field ~_

_Of life ~_

_The bird sings with it chicks ~_

_Ancient life ~_

_Rebirth ~_

_The cycle of life continues forward_

_I sing this song of life ~_

_Praying for love and joy ~_

_I sing the song of peace ~_

_Prosperity restored ~_

"Just a little more!" Sophia thought as the light grew even brighter.

The Deadlord roared furiously and lunged at her. Its hands burned as it clashed with the barrier protecting her. The cracks forming did make Sophia fill with fear but not today.

"Too many lives have been lost. Too many sacrifices made." She thought as the Deadlord roared as kept trying to break the barrier.

"Emmeryn....I made a promise to you. And I will keep it." Sophia whispered as she looked up to the sky.

The lamp inside her glowed with the tome in her room began growing bright.

_Ancient songs reborn~_

_The soul rebirth ~_

_Mother Earth ~_

_Sing once more~_

_I sing this song of life ~_

_Prosperity restored ~_

_I sing this song of life, hoping for rebirth_

_Sing away ~_

_Breath away ~_

_Ocean of Stars, life beings ~_

_Life returns!_

The final sentence sung, she slammed her hands to the ground. Screams of agony came from the risen as the light took over the place. The Earth Veins unleashed its power through the land, making itself known. All of Sophia's veins glowed brightly as she gritted her teeth, the phantom roaring as its light spread out.

 **" A̸A̴A̸A̵A̴A̴A̵U̷U̷U̵G̶G̸G̵H̷H̴H̸H̶!̶** "̶ ̷ The Deadlord screamed in agony as the light burned its cosmic body.

It had no choice but to retreat before she was destroyed. The light began to fade slowly, Sophia panted as she looked around. The risen had turned to dust. Plants, and vines, trees, and bushes covered the capital. The crimson sky turned to a night-blue sky. The woman was on her knees, the book dropping in front of her. The silence that filled the place, was calming for some reason. It was over. The Deadlord was gone. But at what cost?

"Ha...ha...Ulp.....Aaaahhhh...Ahhhhh!" Finally, she let herself break.

Sophia wailed loudly as her tears fell, the pain all over her body took over. But it was nothing to the pain her heart felt. She felt like a failure. She wasn't able to prevent Emmyren's fall but the only speck of hope was that her friend was alive. Sophia let her cries fill the place, she didn't care who saw her. War was something she never wanted to be part of. War in real life was terrifying, gruesome. The bodies of the innocent and those who fought laid all around. She stood up, limping as she could feel herself wanting to faint. The stab wound on her shoulder was still bleeding as she made herself walk on the path. She stumbled, right when she was about to fall, two pairs of arms caught her. Her lips quivered as she realized who they were.

"Hey." Henry smiled sadly as Morgan did the same.

Their clothing was in tatters also and they had multiple wounds. They walked, supporting her until they stopped near a pile of broken stones. Sophia forced herself to start digging through it, even if she could see some blood on the grass. Henry kelt down and the two looked at each other and nodded. Morgan used what little magic he had left to remove the giant boulders. It felt like hours as they used their hands to dig. Even if her fingers hurt..were bloody.

"Gasp!" She gasped as she saw a gloved hand peeking out, "Morgan!" She yelled and the boy quickly along with Henry used as much of their magic as to remove the stones.

She kept digging with her hands till finally, they saw a body. Buried under the rubble, she began crying as they managed to clear it.

"Oh, gods...." Morgan sobbed as he saw who it is, "Uncle Frederick...."

Sophia moved more bricks, revealing the rest of the knight. Gashes all over this body. A broken leg, his left eye crushed, a cut on his forehead. Sophia cried as she held his hand.

"I'm sorry..." she sobbed but...

"Wait..." Henry's eyes snapped open as he quickly put his hand on his wrist, "He's alive.."

Sophia looked at him shocked and began crying louder as a sad smile graced her lips and held his hand tightly. Frederick could barely make out a sound. Opening his right eye just a bit. The last thing he saw and heard, was a maiden crying as she held his hand as if she had been saved.

_"Hold on....Please hold on...Oh Gods....Please hold on."_

**Chapter 15: Don't Speak Her Name!**

Unknown Deadlord:

<https://twitter.com/Sakura108645/status/1319093316940513280?s=20>

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**_And that concludes Emmeryn' chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it and as well as shed some tears. If you guys want to chat or even get small preview snippets of upcoming stories and chapters or want advice to help improve your writing, come join the discord!_ **

**_discord. gg/9XG3U7a_ **

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	16. Broken Emotions

The sky was nothing but a gray landscape. The rain was pouring as if the sky itself was crying. Robin was silent as she looked out the window. It has been a week since they managed to get back to Ferox. The air is tense, no one is happy. She had never seen Chrom so broken. The grief, anger, and sorrow filled his eyes as he cut down the Plegain Soldiers. When he was on the verge of striking down General Mustafa, the battle was interrupted by the Deadlord they first encountered when they met all those months ago. Again, both sides were forced to flee. But not before Chrom clashed again with the Deadlord. The battle brought shivers to her spine as she recalled how the Deadlord fought. It had a similar fighting style to Chrom. However, its’ fighting style was brutal, with no mercy whatsoever. The prince has barely been given the time to grieve. She was grateful that Sumia’s punch to the face made him snap out of it. Now, no longer swallowed in grief and anger, the past few days have allowed Chrom to grieve, accept, and also rest a bit. It is something he and Lissa needed. Especially after they both witnessed those important to them lose their lives. Emmeyrn, who gave her life to send her a message and save her family. Frederick, who fought in the battle but was crushed. Robin snapped out of her thoughts when the door to the infirmary opened. Lysithea walked out like she had seen a ghost. She dropped to her knees panting.

"I never want to do that ever again!" The girl screeched and Felix quickly ran to help her stand properly.

"How is Phila?" The group turned to see Chrom walking up to them.

Behind him were the Shepherds along with the two recruits, Derrick and Tharja. The Khans had also joined. Lysithea weakly gave a thumbs up.

"Phila will live."

"WHOOOOOO!!"

It had been a while since joy and relief filled a place. Chrom could not help let go of a sigh of relief and gave the girl a tight hug.

"Thank you..." he sobbed and Lysithea shook her head.

"I may be the one to have operated on her but...Sophia is the one you should be thanking." Lysithea muttered as she placed her hand on her forehead, "I....these techniques...Just kind of magic did she use to pass them down to me?"

" _Memory Transfer_." Lysithea looked over to Derrick, "It is an ancient spell from the Judargal Era. By using it, the person casting the spell can transfer their knowledge to the chosen individual. When you performed surgery on Phila, what did you feel?" He asked.

".....Alert." Lysithea muttered, "Like I have been doing surgery my whole life. I knew her blood pressure. I knew how much blood was lost. I knew where her organs and veins were. I knew how to close her wounds properly and what needed to be cut. I...felt..like if I became Sophia." She shivers a bit.

"There." Tharja muttered, "It felt like you had become her. That is the purpose of the spell. To allow you to use her knowledge."

"I don't understand..." Lysithea muttered, "None of these techniques or medical methods exist in Archanea. I knew she was a doctor but....I never knew she did. _.this_." she looked back to the room.

The color was returning to Phila as two Feroxi mages were using a bit of white magic on her to help her recovery.

"If...we ever do meet her, I like to thank her. But Lysithea, I also thank you once more for saving Phila's life." Chrom smiled softly and the girl nodded.

The group dispersed while Chrom and Robin entered the room to check on the general. Meanwhile, Derrick and Tharja were about to head back to their rooms when Lysithea suddenly stopped in front of them.

"I want to know what happened to Sophia in Plegia." The girl said coldly while Derrick's lips became a thin line, "Tharja I can see switching sides because we both hate Aversa but you..." she narrowed her eyes at Derrick, "Manaketes avoid living in Plegia like the plague because the Grimleal has hunted them down for years. Nowi was saved from being sold as a slave. But you...your armor is of high quality. Those that nobles wear..." she muttered.

"Look...." Derrick bit his lip, "I'm...not the one who should be telling you about Sophia. That's her job. Not mine. But for me...I was taken in by a Plegain General and raised. The Grimleal that kidnapped me are dead. I'm not from Plegia. Please...just drop the subject." He muttered as he was trying to stop painful memories from resurfacing.

"Alright." Lysithea huffed, "But I still expect an answer soon."

"Oh, I get it!" Derrick clapped his hands together while the two women looked at him confused, "You're the girl that Sophia spoke about that loves devouring cake!"

Lysithea's face turned crimson as Tharja covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"Anyhow, how's... the prince dealing with...you know...the loss of the knight and sister?" He asked and Lysithea sighs.

"First three days. Nightmares. Robin has been staying with him in his room for comfort. Phila is recovering but as of right now...spirits are low. Especially after..." Lysithea trembled at the thought of the Deadlord.

"The fact that even the Plegia army was forced to retreat..." the group turned to see Ricken along with Nowi walk up to them, "You all felt it? The earth's vein is active. I managed to catch a glimpse but there was a woman who activated the earth vein and made the Deadlord retreat. One of our spies managed to get some information." Ricken said.

"What came in?" Derrick said.

"The entire capital is covered in plants. People are returning, you know, cleaning up and such. But...the mysterious woman that made the Deadlord retreat and destroyed the Risen, they are calling her, the savior of Plegia." Ricken muttered as they walked through the hallways and to the meeting room.

Arriving, they saw a couple of Shepards already there along with the Khans. They were now just waiting for Chrom and Robin.

"Say~," Nowi said cheerfully as she turned to her fellow manakete, "What type of dragon are you? You breathe fire but you look like a water dragon. Not only that...How come you look like a young man?! It's not fair! I'm older than you!" She pouts.

"Ha!" He snorts, "That's where you are wrong. I'm 100 years older than you! As for me looking like an adult, I have human blood in veins." he smirked.

"Grrrr! No fair, that's cheating!" Nowi puffs her cheeks angrily at him.

"Well." He pats her head with a smug smirk, "That's life for you, Spitfire."

"Don't head pat me!" Nowi swung her arms at him but he just yawned as his right hand was on her head and kept her at arm's length.

She still kept swinging her arms at him. There were chuckles and giggles but most of all, at least some joy. The door to the war room opened and in came Chrom and Robin, who gave nods.

"Gaius." Chrom spoke and the thief stood up straight, "Mind introducing as to the double agent?"

"No problem, Blue." Gauis smirked and looked over to Derrick, "Everyone, not sure if you've met him yet but this is Derrick. The double agent has been helping us get information. He also happened to be the retainer of The Hierophant of Grimleal. A.k.a, Sophia." He finished.

Derrick nodded and turned to Chrom.

"We were ordered by Sophia to join you. Even if she was forced to join Grimleal, she started planning ways to help you all in this war. She had a score to settle with Grimleal." He said and Robin narrowed her eyes.

"She was planning a regicide," Robin muttered and Derrick chuckled a bit nervously.

"Uhh...Not that extreme." He smiled a bit nervously, "During our time together they made her do many things." He can already tell everyone was going to ask what kind.

"The first one." Tharja spoke, "Is the people. Spirits needed to be lifted and such as well as lands healed. Villages and lands all around were starving. Lands hit by famine and droughts. Many dying of diseases. So, her first job was to make medicine. It was distributed to the civilians. I'm sure your spies reported seeing civilians as well as soldiers looking well." She muttered a bit coldly.

"They did," Sthal spoke.

It feels so odd that Frederick was not the one speaking. In times like this, he would be the one next to Chrom. Also, it was thanks to Sumia socking the prince in the face to make him snap out of it. Everyone here has pledged that they will fight. Not only to stop Gangrel but for peace. Chrom will follow in his sister's footsteps.

"I know...this a sensitive topic but..." Chrom spoke a bit hesitant, "Was...my sister treated terribly?" He asked.

"Lady Emmeryn..." Derrick sighs as he runs his finger through his hair, "Well...I will be honest. Both Lady Emmeryn and Sophia were war prisoners. I know this may sound strange but Sophia took advantage of the power she was given to make sure no harm befell your sister my Lord. They...” he chuckled a bit sadly, "They became friends."

"Friends?" Lissa muttered.

"Yeah." He chuckled but, "It was funny seeing them argue sometimes. Sophia would say that she wished she was kind like Lady Emmeryn. Lady Emmyren would say she wished she was strong like Sophia. Then Sophia would say that she is strong. And Lady Emmyren would say that Sophia is kind. Back and forth they would go. Talking about politics and such. That fact it never became a screaming match is what made us happy. Goodness, and I thought the screaming matches in Ylisse were bad. If you were in the courts of Plegia, that is ten times worse. Like...uh..." he turned to Tharja.

"Why are you looking at me? You're the one that has been in the courts more than me. I was just a mage in the army." Tharja glared at him.

"I thought Henry would tell you about the assassination attempts, poisons, and such that would happen!" He argued back.

"Ha!" Tharja laughed, "Please if anything he most likely told Morgan!"

"......."

"......"

"Oh no." Both went pale at that.

"Oh no, what?" Felix glared.

"Oh, nothing...Just that Sophia's apprentice may set the Grimleal on fire when given the opportunity." Derrick says, cooly.

Tharja just facepalms as she began whispering a string of curses under her breath. Everyone could have sworn Libra went pale hearing them because he was the closest to her.

"Well...we..welcome it?" Robin chuckled a bit nervously.

Well! Today's meeting is going to take awhile.

**\- Destroyed Fort in Plegia -**

The sickening sight of mutilated corpses littered throughout the building. Metal footsteps were heard as their owner walked slowly through the place. Their crimson glowing eyes narrowed as he saw the bones that once were covered in human flesh, bloody. A small bit of flesh remained, indicating that it was ripped off, like a piece of meat. They continued to walk, each time he saw the same sight. Bloody bones were cleaned of their flesh. They walked up the stone stairs, seeing blood drip down them. The sight was the same for each floor. Finally, they reached the open roof, where an individual could be seen on their knees, hunched over as they let ou growls and snarls.

" G̴a̸s̵p̵.̶.̷.̴G̵a̷s̴p̶.̴.̴.̸G̶u̷l̴p̸.̷.̸." they only stared at the sight of the unknown dead lord chewing and swallowing flesh off a human arm.

Human organs were just splattered over the place. The dead lord was covered in blood. Its legs, its hands, blood dripped from their mouth. They kept eating.

" A̸h̶h̶.̶.̶.̵G̶u̴l̷p̴.̴.̴.̴s̸l̶u̵r̷p̴.̸.̸.̴" it was a horrendous sight.

The unknown Deadlord licked its bloody fingers as its wings ripped human flesh off the bones. Its companion watched in silence as it ate its fill. The dead lord let go of a small blissful sigh as it looked towards him. Its eyes narrowed as she put down the human heart it was eating.

" ** ~~What?~~** " Its companion muttered and it glared.

It had removed its veil. The small part of its memories of humans, it makes her hate getting her clothes dirty. The dead lord before it began the massacre, had removed its clothing and armor. If it were human, she could be identified as being naked.

" U̶r̸g̸h̶.̸.̵.̷H̶r̶g̸h̵.̶.̸.̶.̷" the Deadlord tried to speak but only let out a beastly growl.

It cocked its head like a confused child as it stood up from the pile of bones of humans it ate.

" H̵r̷g̴h̷.̴.̵.̸U̴g̴h̸.̶.̴.̴T̴-̷T̸.̴.̴." the female struggled to form words as she floated gently to her companion.

" **Enough."** The Deadlord knight growled, " **Continue eating**."

" G̴g̵r̵r̵r̴r̴r̷r̶r̷!̵" The female snarled at him, " H̴h̶r̶r̴g̸h̷h̶h̵.̶.̸.̷N̴g̸g̶h̴.̴.̴.̵.̸"

 **"No."** The night glared, "Just eat."

" G̶r̶r̶r̷.̵.̴.̸.̶R̵a̴a̸a̷h̴h̸h̶!̵" She lunged at him but he quickly grabbed her wrist.

" **You are their ruler! The Risen obey you! Stop acting like a child!** " The knight growled.

" N̵g̷h̶h̶.̷.̷.̷H̸r̵g̶h̶h̷h̶!̴" The Deadlord let out another beastly whine.

He let go of her wrist and sighs.

" **Just eat. More bodies we will find. Did the mages not satisfy you?"** He glared.

" N̵g̶h̸h̸h̸h̵.̴.̴.̴.̶G̵r̸r̶h̴h̷.̶.̶.̷.̸A̷h̸h̶h̸h̶.̵.̴.̸" it growled and whined as it went back to its pile of bones to drink the leftover blood.

The knight removed his helmet and saw her purr as she floated back to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck.

" A̷h̵h̵h̴.̸.̷.̴A̶h̵.̵.̵.̸H̶r̶g̵h̴h̶.̶.̴.̵ '' She tried to speak again.

To someone else, it sounded like a bestial growl, but to the knight, they can understand what they are saying. They frowned but now was not the time to enjoy carnal desires. The female dead lord cooed happily as she caressed his cheek. Blood smudged on him but he did not care.

" **Lord Grima requires us**." The knight muttered and instantly her face of bliss turned to one of fury.

She pushed him away and snarled.

" R̶h̷h̸h̸h̸a̷a̸.̷.̴.̶R̶h̸a̶.̶.̸.̴.̴R̴-̵R̶e̷f̵u̶s̷e̵.̵.̶.̸.̸.̵t̷o̸.̵.̵.̷" the knight's eyes widened hearing her speak, " **Refuse!"** The Deadlord roared.

" **You know very well you can not disobey him**." The dead lord knight said coldly and she scoffed as she floated back to the corpse and picked up the human heart.

It began to eat it, this time slowly, however....

_"Mama!"_

" A̷A̵A̸A̵A̵A̸A̷A̴U̴U̸G̷G̶G̸H̵H̵H̷H̷!̵!̴!̸" She suddenly roared as a flash of a fragment of her memories played before her eyes and threw the heart away.

She gripped her head tightly and began thrashing around, black blood tears fell from her eyes as she screamed. The voice of a child kept repeating in her mind. The knight quickly ran to her and she quickly jumped back. Her right hand over her right eye.

" G̴a̵s̴p̵.̶.̶.̸.̴H̸r̶g̸h̸.̴.̸.̸.̴G̶h̴h̷a̴g̴g̶h̸h̷a̴a̵!̸" It screamed as it began clawing its face, " **I....I...HUUMMAAANNN**!" It threw its head back the knight quickly took the opportunity to stab his hand through her chest.

" **Ulp..**.." the dead lord wept as it looked up to him with humanity in its eyes, " **You...You...King..**." and out he ripped his hand, causing the female dead lord to pass out. He picked up in his arms and began walking, the Risen around the area, bowed to _the two._

_"̴Q̷u̷e̴e̷n̶.̷.̵.̸"̴_

_̸"̷Q̸u̴e̷e̵n̶.̴.̶.̸.̴"̶_

_̵"̸L̸o̸r̸d̶ ̶G̸r̵i̴m̵a̷'̸s̵.̵.̵.̴.̸Q̴u̸e̵e̵n̶.̷.̷.̶"̵_

_̷_

The Risen whispered could be barely heard but the dead lord knight did not care. All he did was glance down at her. For she is the one that commands the Risen to her call. For she is the one that can make the corpse rise and serve her.

_For she is T̸h̴e̶ ̴R̶i̴s̸e̴n̵ ̶Q̸u̷e̴e̸n̴._

**\- Plegia Capital -**

"Heave ho! Heave Ho!"

The Plegia Capital was lively as civilians were able to return. Many were beyond shocked to see not just the Capital but the land around it flourishing with life. Some mages were helping remove rubble using their magic. Many people were still injured and the whole week has just been nothing but recovery and such. Sophia let go of a sigh as she finished helping an elderly man with his injury. Making sure he was alright. Her entire body was wrapped in bandages and her shoulder was recovering. She still had a bit of trouble moving it. The downside of Federick's attack on her is that she can no longer feel any pain in her right arm. Just like on her right leg. Gangrel, Grimleal, and the rest of the army are headed to the west, the borders where Plegia and Ferox meet. The Border Waste, about a week away from the Capital. That is where the war will take place. But, some good things did come out of this.

"Ah! Sophia dear!" A young woman came into the clinic, "Does the field still have lilies growing? I want to take some to pay my respects to the Exalt."

Sophia nodded and said that the field behind the weapon shop had many flowers growing. The lady thanked her and left. Sophia smiled softly as she closed the door to her makeshift clinic. It was the old abandoned building when she returned. As the days went by, Emmeryn's words resonated throughout the heart of the people. Many soldiers have chosen to desert the army and chose to help rebuild their home. The desire for peace was what many wanted. People were doing everything they could to rebuild the city. At the place where Emmeryn fell, citizens placed candles and flowers to pay their respects.

The door to her clinic opened and she turned. Her eyes went wide as she quickly covered her mouth, tears falling as she looked at the man at her door. Henry and Morgan were grinning as Mustafa gave her one of his rare smiles. His chest was wrapped in bandages and behind him, were a good amount of his soldiers.

"Mustafa!" Sophia yelled and ran to him, hugging him tightly, "You're alive!" She cried and the man laughed as his soldiers said they were going to go help the civilians, to which their general nodded.

"We're going to go help the people bury the dead. Making sure they don't rise tonight! Nyhahaha!" Henry laughed as he walked away while the others just shook their heads.

Morgan went to go help bury those that have passed away. Many lives were lost and they have been buried respectfully to one of the giant open fields behind the capital. Mustafa came in and Sophia had him sit down. His badges needed to change and the two talked.

"I'm glad you are alive. But...how?" She asked since she knew that the man was supposed to be dead along with his men.

"Sigh...." the general sighs, "I don't know if I should call it a blessing or a curse. I remember we were on the battlefield. I offered The Ylissens to surrender and live. That I would do everything in my power to protect them." He muttered as Sophia sat down across from after she finished putting on the new bandages.

_"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."_

"The rage of the prince he and his people showed. It is justified. If I had surrendered, Gangrel would have made an example of my family. The words Emmeryn said resonated with many. I gave them the option to leave, but they chose to stay and fight. Both sides clashed. Gods, it felt like time went quickly. Soon it was me against the prince." Mustafa sigh, "His rage, I felt it when his sword clashed with my ax. I still remember the burning rage when his sword slashed me. But the finishing blow never came..." his eyes darkened a bit.

"Mustafa...what happened out there?" Sophia asked nervously.

The man looked her in the eye and spoke.

"It was as if the dead chose to rise at that very moment. A Deadlord suddenly appeared and lunged at the prince. Many more Risen also. I have never seen anything like it. One minute, two leaders of different armies were fighting to kill each other, the next, a mutual truce to fight the dead lord of gold and blue. All of us barely made it out alive. If Henry and Morgan hadn't found my men and me in the desert, we would be dead right now." He said as a bead of sweat ran down Sophia's cheek.

" **Another one of the kin..**." Brynhildr suddenly spoke in her mind, making the woman screeched.

"Are you alright?!" Mustafa looked at her worried as she nodded, gulping.

"Y-Yes. I just...had a flashback from the battle." Sophia gave him a crooked smile.

Brynhildr had not talked to her at all during the week and suddenly scared the hell out of Sophia.

Sophia took deep breaths as she tried to calm down her pounding heart and then turned back to him.

"I'm just...glad you are alive. First the unknown dead lord and now another one?" Just let out a groan as she ran her finger through her hair, licking her lips a bit, "I know this is sudden but....what did it look like?" She asked.

"Gold, royal blue and titanium white armor, like that of a noble. A knight helmet with wings of a dragon on the head. A crown of spikes that pointed upward. A sword..." Mustafa went silent for a bit but continued, "A sword with a grip made of bones, it looked like a spine. The crimson glowing gem with a strange symbol on it."

"I never heard of such a Deadlord...it most certainly doesn't fit any of the descriptions of the Deadlords I have seen in the game....two unknown Deadlords.." Sophia held her chin as though, "I know for a fact the civilians have been calling that fortunate teller looking one _The Risen Queen_ because of how it roared and the Risen obeyed her command. What the hell is going on...?" Sophia bit her lips and spoke.

"Thank you, Mustafa." Sophia gave him a small smile, "But...what will you do now? You can't fight because you are injured. And many have chosen to not fight."

"That answer is simple my friend." He smiled, "I may be a warrior but I will be returning to my family. I should have spoken up to the king. That was my role as a general of his. To speak and tell him that his actions have gone astray. But I worried a lot about my family. I feared for them. But now...the most I could now is to atone for my sins by helping my people heal the land." He looked out the window as he saw a father carrying his daughter on his back.

The mother and father, along with their child. A sad smile on his lips as she turned to her.

"One day, I do hope you will be able to find someone who will love you no matter what. And Sophia," she looked at him confused a bit, "You and Henry are always welcomed to our home. After all, he is like a son to me, as you are like a daughter." He smiled.

Sophia's eyes went wide and she nodded, holding back tears. Indeed, even if this war made her cry and break many times, she has created new bonds and friendships. She may have been brought to this world against her will, but now....it was her home.

"Thank you."

**\-- Night -**

Sophia had returned to the garden for various reasons. As she entered, even if the roof caved in the ballroom, some of the rooms they were still able to live in. For once, she could enjoy the place without worrying about Aversa or the Grimleal. She for sure plans to take every damn book in the library with her. She walked down the hallway and stopped in front of her room. She took a deep breath and walked in, letting go of a sigh of relief seeing the knight on her bed still.

"Wait, I didn't cover him with a blanket." Sophia thought as she walked towards her bed.

The day she found Frederick under the rubble she thought he was dead. And then Henry said he was alive made her let go a sigh of relief. The wounds he suffered should have killed him. That fact he survived was a miracle. Even if she was injured and tried, she injected herself with painkillers to be able to operate to save his life. Removing all his armor was a pain. Gods, she remembers the agonizing hours she spent closing his wounds, using magic to fix the broken bones and blood vessels. The amount of blood he lost, thankfully Morgan was compatible and the boy donated his blood. Her future self did teach Morgan about human blood types. Unfortunately for the knight, his left eye could not be saved. The building collapsed around him, a sharp shard of a brick got stabbed into his eye. Sophia had to operate to remove the brick shard as well as remove the eye. Cleaned and stitched up. She was terrified because the first night is essential. He was still in critical condition even if the operations were a success. The fact he survived the night made the woman break down into tears of joy.

For now, Emmeryn is hidden away somewhere safe. Sophia had to operate on the woman's head to save her. Emmeryn will have permanent brain damage because of the fall. Thankfully because of her skills, Sophia was able to lessen the damage. Emmeryn should be able to speak but she will have a bit of trouble speaking sentences. The necklace Phila and Emmeryn were given, stored some of her magic. And if the two were to get critically injured, the gem on it would crack and release the magic. And it did. It saved both of their lives. It stopped the bleeding temporarily and kept their injuries from becoming critical. As for Frederick, he hasn't woken up since he survived the first night. Sophia was just glad he didn't enter a coma. The man was healing and every day she would change his bandages and use magic to gently heal the wounds. As well as feed and clean him.

Sophia carefully removed the blanket and suddenly dropped it as shock filled her face seeing that the knight was gone.

"Where is he?! Gods, I need to get Morgan and H---!" She froze as she felt the blade of a dagger on her neck.

" ** _Don't move_**." Oh, gods...

Cold. The deep male voice was cold as her eyes slowly looked to the mirror not too far from her bed. Frederick's left side of his face was wrapped with bandages, as well as his chest. Yes, he was shirtless. He was wearing pants because originally he was just in his underwear. Sophia gulped as she spoke a bit calmly.

"I'm not an enemy." She carefully raised her hand in surrender, "I swear...."

"As if I believe the words of a Plegain General. You're the woman that was covered in blood, aren't you?" Frederick spoke coldly as the dagger was pressed a bit harder.

"......You think I would care about my looks during a fucken war?" Sophia narrowed her eyes, " You were in the same boat as I was! You looked like you were in a murder spree on that horse of yours!" She argued back.

" I was not o—-!" That was the opening she needed.

Quickly she warped out of his arms and lunged at him. Frederick tried to defend him but hissed when his right leg suddenly gave out. Sophia took the opportunity to pin him down, straddling him. She made sure the grip of her thighs was tight to keep him from trying to flip them over. Her arms caged him, even though he is bigger than her. She panted, the dagger now far away from both.

"I'm not your enemy!" Sophia snarled, "I dug you from under a building and the first thing you do is try to kill me?!"

"You are a Plegain general. Are going to keep prisoner?" Frederick said coldly.

"And what benefit will that do?" She said coldly and took off her shirt.

Immediately Frederick turned crimson and tried to avert his eyes but Sophia was having none of it.

"I'm in the same boat as you!" Sophia motioned to her upper body, she was completely wrapped in bandages.

"Alright, I understand!" Frederick yelled a bit angry as she put back on her shirt.

"I don't think you understand." Sophia narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Frederick with cold ones, "Either you be a good knight and allow me properly heal you or..." the grip of her thighs around his waist became tighter, "Die of blood loss."

"You are the enemy. Why would you heal me? Are you trying to make me owe you a favor? I will do no such thing for someone of Grimleal." Frederick narrowed his eyes back at her.

The position they were in really wasn't helping either. If someone walked in, they would seriously get the wrong idea. Not that Sophia cared, she's only trying to prevent the stubborn man from reopening his wounds.

"20 hours." She states as she leaned in a bit closer, pointing to his left eye, "20 hours it took to properly close and seal your wounds. You nearly got turned to a puddle of bloody slime by the explosion the Deadlord caused. I could have left you crushed under the brick rubble but I didn't." She leaned away.

"What do you want?" He growled, "I refuse to be indebted to the person who helped in the execution of Exalt."

Sophia glare only became colder but she kept her mouth shut about her being responsible.

"I owe a debt to the Exalt. I'm only repaying it by making sure you return to your prince." She hissed back.

"Is that so...." He muttered as she just rolled her eyes.

"Look." Sophia sighs "I'm already taking a risk hiding you here in The Garden. I made sure two of my friends joined your army before things went down. This is the least I can do to repay Emmeryn...Do not." She points to him, "Make me regret my choice."

"I do not understand." Frederick muttered and she shook her head, "Who are you?"

"There, was that so hard?" She smiled and unfortunately, neither of them noticed that Henry had come in and then slowly walked back to go outside the room.

He closed the door and turned to Morgan who was confused.

"What's wrong?" Morgan said as he had a tray of medicine, "Teacher usually changes Frederick's bandages this hour."

"Say!" He quickly spun the boy around, "Let's go back to the plaza! I heard that since it technically is the new year, they will be giving out _egg_ -cellent egg-nog!"

"But I thought I can't drink?! I'm not 15 yet! And what about Uncle Frederick?" Morgan looked back at him.

"Morgan." Henry took a deep breath and smiled, "Your uncle is VERY warm and taken WELL care of right now! So don't worry!"

"What do you mean? Did Teacher use the heal spell on him to make sure he didn't get cold?" Morgan asked innocently.

"Yes! The knight is VERY WARM! NYHAHAHA!" Henry laughed and led the boy away.

"You owe me 3 gold coins for this Sophia!" Henry thought as his eyebrow twitched.

So back to the others. Sophia held up her index finger and spoke.

"I will answer whatever questions you have on three conditions." Sophia glared, "One: You will not try to kill me in my sleep. Two, you will rest properly so you can heal. Three: You will listen to the instructions I tell you. This is for your own good." She said.

"I can not trust you. Especially since we are in such positions." He referred to being on top of him.

"Hey, you're at fault." She glared.

"How exactly is this my fault?" He glared back and was waiting for the opportunity that she loosens her grip.

"You tried to kill me! I just came here to change your bandages! I'm a doctor! Not a damn Assassin!" She glared at him furiously.

"......Very well, I will follow the first two. But I refused to do your bidding for the third one." He said and Sophia shook her head again.

"No. The reason I said the third one is because just with this interaction, I learned that you are a stubborn mule," he looked very offended by that, "Even after you heal, you need to learn to adapt to now only having one eye. Especially because of your field of vision. Also, your right arm and left leg were broken during the explosion. Again, physical therapy will be needed for you to be able to move properly. Do you want your leg or arm to suddenly give out in the middle of a battle?" She smiled warmly.

Frederick's eyebrow twitched. He had nothing to say about that because she was speaking the truth. If his arm or leg suddenly stopped functioning in the middle of the battlefield, it would cost him his life.

"You win." He growled, "I will follow the third condition."

Sophia nodded and carefully got off him. The man could not help but let go of a sigh of relief because the feeling of her thighs around his waist was not helping at all. Carefully, she stood up and offered her hand to him. The man just stared at it for a moment but did not take it. He made himself stand up but unfortunately, his leg had other ideas. Again, he felt it give out and when he was about to fall, Sophia quickly put his arm around his shoulder to support him.

"Nnghhh! Heavy!" Sophia grunted as she tried to support the man's weight on her.

Frederick just stared at her for a moment and let go of a sigh. As much as he wanted to leave and return to his Lord, he was in no condition. Careful, he removed some of his weight to allow the woman to carefully lead him back to the bed. He got on and he was surprised to see her fix the pillows to make sure he was comfortable.

"You forcing yourself up caused a few of your wounds to nearly reopen." Sophia let go of a sigh as she began to heal on him.

Her hands glowed a light green and he could feel the pain gain away. Again, the man was surprised because the only person he has seen use magic without a tome or staff is Felix. Once done, she turned around to a table next to the bed. Frederick looked around the room and saw it was a bit of a disaster. Most likely due to the battle that took p-----!!

"What day is it?" He suddenly blurted out.

"January 7th. You've been asleep for a week." Sophia answered normally as she was looking through the bottles of pills to find the painkillers, antibiotics, and vitamins.

"What?" Frederick paled as she turned back to him with a glass of water and medicines in her hands.

"Do you remember what happened?" She asked as she sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"I remember...." his throat felt dry, "I was on the verge of running to my lord...then the...Dear Lord.."

"Sent a magic blast and destroyed the buildings around you. Causing them to crumble on top of you." She finished his sentence as she opened her hand with a red and blue pill in it.

"What is this?" Frederick asked.

"Medicine," Sophia answered bluntly.

"You expect me to believe a red and blue color pebble is medicine?" He glared.

"It's what I've been giving you while you were asleep!" Sophia snarled back, "I have been cleaning and changing your bandages. Using magic to feed you and also give you medicine," she thrust her hand in his face, "AND if I wasn't on alert 24/7 you would be a paralyzed man right now! Do not question my years of experience!" Sophia growled.

"......." Frederick took a deep breath and took the pills from her hand, and forced himself to swallow them.

He coughed and took the glass of water and nearly spit it out if he didn't recognize the taste of bitter medical herbs mixed in.

"Ugh!" He gagged and handed her the cup, and she then just handed him a regular glass of water, which he drank.

The pain in his body suddenly went away and he did not feel so heavy anymore.

"You can handle bitter herbs." Sophia says bluntly as she was handed the cup and put it on the table, "You'll be taking the medicine every day."

"........Why did you help me? And where are my lord and my comrades?" Frederick asked as she let go of a sigh.

"Right now.... every one of the Ylisse and Ferox army believes you are dead." She gave a pregnant pause for a moment then continued, "As for saving you...It's the least I could do...after everything you and your friends have done for Lysithea."

".....You're Sophia." His eyes slowly widened in realization as he could now see her properly.

".......By the way," she picked up a watch and held it up, "Thanks for giving me back my watch. I thought I lost it forever. Found it in your belongings. "

"........You are the mage that I met in Ferox but also healed me...aren't you?" He narrowed his eyes.

She looked so different from the projection he saw two weeks ago. She had mint colored hair and brown colored eyes, not indigo-colored hair and crimson emerald eyes.

"You're staring," Sophia muttered as she was mixing some herbs and powders to make a cream.

"Answer my question." He said coldly and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I am." She muttered, "You also know me as The Shadow Exalt."

Frederick gritted his teeth. This woman...was the False Prophet.

".......Just say it." Sophia sighs as she continues to mix the herbs, "That I am a false leader..."

"You are..." Frederick spoke in a harsh tone, "Do you know what your actions have caused during this war.....?" The response he got was silence, "Difficulty. The mages of Grimleal were never experts in the healing arts. They have been able to recover much faster as well as cause much more damage." Silence once more.

"Not only that, Lysithea kept blaming herself for your actions. Did you even think about the grief you caused her when you warped her to Ylisse?" Again, her only response was silence, "The Shadow Exalt...An insult to Lady Emmyren's name! Exalt is a symbol of peace. You were nothing but a symbol of propaganda and destruction! They used you as a form to serve Grima!" He yelled furiously.

"I ALREADY KNOW THAT!" Sophia slammed her hands on the table, causing a jar of water slip.

"I ALREADY KNEW WHAT MY ACTIONS CAUSED! I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE GRIEF I CAUSED LYSITHEA! BUT YOU THINK I DID IT ON PURPOSE?!" Sophia roared and turned to him.

"NO!" His eye went wide, as he saw the tears that were streaming down her face, "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WANTED TO JUST RUN AWAY! HOW MUCH I WISHED I WAS THE ONE THAT WAS DEAD INSTEAD OF EMMERYN! HOW MUCH I WISH I WASN'T DRAGGED INTO THIS BLOODY WAR! I...I...ALL I WANTED WAS TO LIVE A PEACEFUL LIFE! I DIDN'T COME TO ARCHANEA BY CHOICE! I WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM MY HOME! THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME SANE WAS MY PROFESSION AS A DOCTOR!" She roared.

She ripped the bandages on her hands, showing him the scars she now permanently has because of the ritual.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be tortured?!" She snarled at him, "What's it like to find out that the real reason you were being used to heal the land, for propaganda, a position of power, and forced into isolation? TO BE A HUMAN SACRIFICE TO SUMMON A DEAD LORD AND FORCED TO WATCH PEOPLE BE SACRIFICED IN FRONT OF YOU?! YOU THINK I WANTED THIS POSITION OF POWER?!" She slammed her hand over her heart.

"I NEVER WANTED POWER! I NEVER WANTED TO BE CALLED THE SAINT OF ARCHANEA OR THE SHADOW EXALT! I NEVER WANTED POWER! BUT to SURVIVE I HAD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT TO PREVENT INNOCENT CIVILIANS FROM DYING! AND THIS GOES TO ALL SIDES! YLISSE, FEROX, PLEGIA! I AM SICK OF THIS WAR!" She brought her hands down and sobbed.

"All these emotions...I swore to myself I would never express my emotions again after what happened to me in my old home...Look at me now...Joy...sorrow..anger..hate...I never thought I would feel these emotions again...I don't know how to handle this...I don't know...I never thought I would feel like a human again...I..." Sophia just turns away and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut.

" **Prick,** " Brynhildr said as Sophia stormed to the open roof of the castle, and began destroying all the jars and vases there.

Thankfully they were only filled with water but she didn't care. Jar after jar, vase after vase. She just destroyed it all. How many years had it gone into such a catastrophic state? This bubbling rage she kept buried deep inside her finally unleashed itself. Sophia didn't want to unleash this rage on the knight. That's why she stormed out before she was the one that hurt him.

_Anger and hate._

_Joy and sorrow._

_Love and kindness._

Every single human emotion she swore to herself that she would never feel again, all of them were brought back. She began to feel them again when she was brought to this world. Part of her was grateful that she could feel these emotions again but there was a sort of her that also detested it. She didn't know how to handle her emotions. It was just too much. The Pandora's box she swore to never open again, the seal broke. Sophia panted and gasped for air as her fingers and hand were bloody once more. She doesn't know how to handle it. She dropped to her knees, gasping and panting for air. She began sobbing uncontrollably. She knew what the consequences of her actions would be. She knew the grief that Lysithea would go through after being warped to Ylisse against her will. She knew that there was a high chance that Plegai would have over the Ylisse army when she taught( _forced_ ) the mages healing arts. The war only made things worse as all her stress, anxiety, and emotions just crashed down on her.

Gods, she just wanted to run. She wanted to run away and forget it all. But that would make her a coward. Emmeryn's words resonated in her heart. Yet, there was a part of Sophia that felt she let her friend down. Despite what she did, Emmeryn still fell. The pain and agony that all felt were universal. Frederick only added salt to the wound when he spoke out loud about the consequences of her actions. She already knew. Sophia already knew and she accepted it. Sophia is no savior. Sophia is no prophet. Sophia is no Saint. She wanted none of that. All she wants now...is for the bloody war, to be over.

Brynhildr manifests herself as and stands behind her. Her eyes gave the woman a look of empathy. For some reason, she feels she could connect with the girl at this moment. However..,.

"Brugh!" The dreadlord's eyes suddenly went wide when the woman suddenly vomited blood.

Sophia looked at her hand, covered in the blood she just vomited, and slowly looked up to Brynhildr. Her veins glowed silver as the world around her began to spin. Screaming. She can hear. Someone calling her name. She began to fall. Everything a Blur. She just..wants..to...

Sleep....

**[---------]**

"You went too far!"

Frederick...didn't know what to say. That that there was a fae in front of him, glaring and yelling, made things far more bizarre. Unfortunately, he could not understand what they were saying to him.

"You bloody prick! Insensitive competent fool!" Ariel glared furiously as the other three just watched, eating the fruits.

Because Mustafa's family along with the man are now safe, Windy and Sidi were allowed to return to Sofia, which they gladly did. But they will miss the sweet cute boy who they would tell tales and stories of their kin. As a precaution, they blessed the boy with the blessing of the winds. Right now, they were waiting for Ariel to tear the mule knight. Sadly the boy Morgan was not here to translate for them. Claude gave a warning hiss to Ylisse knight, who was very wary. He took a deep breath and spoke. He had to very careful with the fae. He has heard stories from unfortunate souls who angered them and were cursed. That they met terrible fates.

"Forgive me my Lady but I do not understand what you are saying. I apologize if I have upset you. I mean no harm to you and your companions." He said carefully and waited for some sort of reaction.

"Oh my, you are a polite one." Sidi giggled as she put her wing over mouth, "The stories of the knights are true. Gentleman when the time comes, yet ferocious in needs." She floated over to him, Unfortunately, the one you should be apologizing to is not us. But Sophia.``

"Naga, have you cursed me?" Frederick thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

It's been about two hours since Sophia stormed furiously out of the room and she hasn't returned at all. The knight couldn't get out of his mind how broken she just looked. The haunting image of the orange crimson-haired woman from the watch came back to his mind. The voice wailed when she screamed why her family was taken from her.

He looked at his bandages and gently placed his left hand over the bandages of his left eye. It was gone. He then looked to his right arm and then left leg. Even though he could not see his wounds, he could feel it. The bandages wrapped around his body were all done properly. He could feel she had also applied some healing ointments underneath the bandages to prevent infections on his wounds. He had many questions. He was in no state to be even moving. But the initial shock of waking up in a room that looked like it belongs to a noble and the Grimleal symbol on the tile floor only made him alert. The first thing he felt was a pain. His body wrapped in bandages as he struggled to concentrate. Of course, the first instinct he did was to survive. He let go of a sigh. He shouldn't have done that, however, he spoke the truth. Yet...

"She just let me berate her..." Frederick let go of a sigh as he forced himself to lay back.

He worried about how his friends were. He knows Chrom and Lissa were most likely grieving the loss of their sister and to add salt to the wound, they witnessed him " _die_ " on the battlefield. But he believes in them. That the prince will be able to move forward and put an end to this war once and for all.

"Eeekk!" The fae screeched as they quickly flew under the bed as a shadow formed in the center of the room.

Frederick was in no condition to fight and all he could do was grab the dagger that was on the table. The shadow formed into the shape of a woman, her appearance could not be seen at all because of the black and silver fog that surrounded her. heterochromic eyes only stared back as he noticed it was carrying...

"Sophia!" The fae screamed and quickly zoomed over to the dead lord even if he hated the sick feeling of darkness.

Brynhildr was silent as the fae noticed just how pale and the veins all over Sophia's body glowed. The woman was shaking, shivering as the dead lord walked to the bed that was next to the giant one and gently placed her down. Frederick could now see and panic began to fill him when he saw just ghostly she looked. The Deadlord was silent as she summoned her staff and gently had it over the woman. The crystal glowed like a white light emitted from it. The veins on Sophia began to fade a bit but she was still pale. The fae circled the woman and raised their hands. Plants began to sprout and surround the woman. A few woolly bugs appeared and they settled on her. Nuzzling her cheek.

" **That earth...** " Brynhildr whispered, " **Will heal her. As for you...** " she looked over to Frederick **“If I had not taken a liking to this girl, I would have put your head on a pike."** She growled.

" **I warn you, knight....Make even one move against her and the mage of white hair will not hesitate to kill you. Nor either of us.** " The fae suddenly had terrifying grins on their faces.

This is what a fae truly is. Anger them and the curse will set. Frederick had a bead of sweat rundown on his cheek till they heard the door open. The dead lord instantly disappeared and the fae settled around Sophia. A young boy with dark blue hair walked in with a tray of food for two people. But nearly dropped it in horror when he saw the state the woman was. Quickly, the boy put the food and the table and ran, placing two fingers on her neck.

"Oh thank Naga she still has a pulse!" The boy let go of a sigh of relief.

He looked up to him and gave him a strained smile.

"I am glad you are awake now Sir Frederick. But...please try to rest. You have two weeks till Plegia and Ylisse clash." Morgan muttered as he used light magic on Sophia.

The woman seemed to be a bit more relieved as she began to breathe normally. The veins were still visible but now she looked like she was sleeping. Morgan let go of a sigh.

"Looks like it finally caught up to her..." he muttered.

"What do you mean?" Frederick asked and Morgan's lips became a thin line.

Or felt a bit strange speaking to someone dead from his timeline. But..it also brought a sense of nostalgia.

"Teacher...was under a lot of pressure by Grimleal and Gangrel to keep the country afloat. She was...like a beacon of light to the people of Plegia." Morgan muttered as he finished using magic on her.

"The Mad King did not care about his people. Those who disobeyed him were made examples. They were publicly shamed then executed. Generals that chose to speak out to the king, their families were held hostage or killed. Village Chiefs were forced to watch their entire village burned to the ground before the people were slaughtered and then they were executed. Famine and drought ravaged the land and it didn't help that the lands the Ylisse invaded 15 years ago, never healed. Too many lives have been lost." Morgan said coldly as Frederick went silent hearing all of this.

"Ah, and the Grimleal would kidnap women and children for their sick experiments. I nearly became a slave when I helped fight off their mages to protect a village." He looked up to him.

His cold expression suddenly reminded him of the ones Lissa, Chrom, and Emmeryn would have when they were furious or upset. The boy was calm as he continued to speak.

"Fae has been captured and sold in the black market along with people...Sophia...she did what any decent human would do. Help people. She took advantage of the power she was given to force the stop of Human Hunts. To be able to bring life to the lands destroyed by war. Distribute medicine to the villages in need. She did what a ruler does. Listen and help the people." He looked up to him, "And it was the Exalt, that also helped her learn how to properly manage that power."

"So what Gauis reported was true..." Frederick muttered, "Lady Emmeryn and Sophia were held captive in the same place."

"Yeah. Lady Emmeryn was amazing. I never saw Teacher look...so...how do I say it...?" The boy pondered a bit, "If...Lady Emmeryn and Teacher weren't rulers...it looked like they were old friends." And Frederick's eye went wide, "They would talk about politics and it never turned to a screaming match. I think it was a good experience for both of them. You know, getting to learn about the other side of the coin." He chuckled.

"Anyhow," Morgan went to the table to get the tray of food and walked over to the table next to the bed, "I got instructions to help you get better should anything happen to her. And well...." booth looked over to the sleeping woman, "That happened."

"What is your name?" Frederick asked as the boy put the tray down.

"Morgan. I'm her apprentice. Teacher has been helping me improve in my magic studies." Morgan answered as he went to a different table.

"Perhaps you could help with some answers," Frederick said as the boy glanced at him.

"Sure. I don't mind." Morgan smiled as he opened a spellbook and also a journal to take notes.

"The injuries that I suffered, just how gruesome were they?" He asked and Morgan cringed at the memory.

"You were near death. We found you buried under pounds of stone. It took around 20 hours for Teacher to properly seal your wounds. However, she said even after she finished operating on you, the number one obstacle was to see if you would survive the night. You are in critical condition. We would take turns in our shifts to watch over you." Morgan explained as he was now reading.

"How long will it take for me to heal?" Frederick asked.

"Well, if we didn't apply new methods of healing magic on you, at least two months. Teacher has been changing your bandages every day and using magic to feed you and have you take your medication. This week your wounds should close up and the next one is a sort of physical therapy. You have to learn to adapt to now one eye and also train to help your arm and leg get their strength back. Meaning, you can't do your ridiculous training regiments." Morgan smirked.

Why did the smirk look like Chrom's? Frederick narrowed his eye a bit as the boy turned back to his books. The knight let go of a sigh as he looked at the food. A vegetable stew with bits of meat, a cup of apple juice, and also a cup of water. A bowl is of cooked vegetables lightly toasted and buttered.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Morgan says as he continued to write down measurements for the explosive powder Henry told him about.

"Right..." Frederick sighs and picks up his spoon and begins eating.

"Strange...the food reminds me of the beef stew in Ylisse." He thought as he continued to eat.

"Who made this food?" He asked.

"Huh?" Morgan glanced over his shoulder, "Oh! Teacher made it. I was going to bring eggnog but Teacher said not because you're healing and don't need alcohol in your body." He snickered.

"........." Frederick just stared at him for a bit.

His hair color reminded him of his lord.

"Umm...Sir Frederick? Is something on my face?" Morgan asked as he was mixing some type of black powder with a yellow one.

The table was littered with jars of different materials as well as tomes. Frederick was silent for a bit then spoke.

"I am sorry I made you feel uncomfortable. It's just....your hair color." The knight muttered and the boy just looked at him confused.

"What about my hair color?" Morgan asked as he picked another jar and opened it.

"It is the same color as my lord's, Prince Chrom," Frederick said a bit suspiciously.

The boy smiled while internally he was screaming. It was WAY too early for him to figure it out.

"Really? I never met the prince so I don't know what he looks like. Teacher says that my hair color reminds her of the ocean." Morgan played along as he was now writing down notes in his journal.

"Why are you avoiding eye contact with me?" The knight narrowed his eyes.

"Naga, I could use some help here, please!" The boy internally yelled.

The knight just dropped the topic because the boy was becoming uncomfortable. He let go of the sigh and continued to eat. The silence in the room was neutral until one of the fae began humming a tune. While he could not understand the language, it seems the boy could. Frederick noticed the boys became filled with sadness as the fae continued to sing softly. The tune he does not recognize but....

"Grand...ma.."

He turned to look at the sleeping woman with a wide eye. Despite being asleep, tears fell from her eyes as the fae smiled sadly to her and continued to sing. Right now, Frederick hoped the woman would be alright and that he can heal quickly.

**\-- Ferox -**

"We should have stayed." Alm said to Lucina as they were now in a cave two hours away from the capital, "We should have stayed." He repeated.

"Alm..." Lucina turned to the boy who was sitting on the ground, his right knee was bent up while his left leg was laid flat, yet...he looked so shocked.

Alm had removed his mask, letting his emotions finally show. The tears fell from his eyes as he looked at her, a symbol on his left eye, a bit similar to the brand of Naga but different.

"He's gone....Dad...he...I don't understand!" The boy yelled as he gritted his teeth, "He lived through the war! He lived till the days of battle against Grima! Why did he die here?! I...This isn't...this...!" Lucina quickly lunged and hugged him tightly to her chest.

He sobbed in her chest as she closed her eyes, gently humming a tune that her mother would sing.

_Butterfly fly up so high_

_Butterfly fly to the night_

_Let the breeze lead you far_

_Spread your wings to the beyond._

_Butterfly so blue_

_Sing as you fly_

_Butterfly be free_

_Fly beyond the sea of blue_

_Butterfly fly away_

"[----]..." Lucina whispered, "We'll get through this. I promise...."

"........Damn it all....Just damn it all...." He sobbed, "I finally was able to meet him properly...and then...this happens..." he wept.

"Even if he still beat me in that battle...I was able to meet him..." he muttered and Lucina sighs a bit.

"We won't let his death be in vain. We will defeat the Unknown Deadlords...We will..." her voice cracked as she recalled the fear that filled her entire body.

Never before had she seen such monstrosity. Never before had she been with such fear.

_They have to win. They must. For the sake of the fallen...and everyone's future._


	17. Tainted Bloom

It has been 3 days since Frederick has woken up and three days that Sophia has remained asleep. The color of her skin has return and the veins have faded away, but the woman was still asleep as if she entered a comatose state. Frederick could not help feel that it was his fault she entered such a state. The days were passing by as his wounds healed slowly thanks to the white magic Morgan was been using. Given the circumstances, the knight decided to take a chance and try to gather as much information as he could, considering he was bed-bound. The first questions he asked Morgan were simple, trying to get to know the boy. He learned that the boy was amnesiac, he had no memory of his life. Only snippets he remembers and one being that Sophia was a teacher of his. The woman had saved from nearly being sold as a slave and had taken him under her wing ( _again_ ).

As for the past few days, Frederick also learned from the mage, Henry, that the Exalt was also imprisoned in the castle called The Garden. Henry spoke to him about why Sophia was with the Grimleal. He wasn't happy.

"They took the entire village hostage. If she didn't join them, they would have killed everyone." Henry muttered as he was adjusting the bandages on the knight's right hand, "Try flexing your fingers."

It was a bit painful but Frederick let go a sigh of relief when he was able to make his fingers move. Carefully, he opened and closed his hand, getting a feel of the movement.

"Aye, not bad!" Henry grins, "If you're able to move your hand properly, that means you should be cleared to start some training in a few days."

"That explains a bit." Frederick sighs a bit, "But I do not understand why she went so far to even send Lysithea to Ylisse. We hardly knew each other or any of The Shepherds. Why us?" He turned to him with furrowed eyebrows.

"I don't know." Henry shrugs, "Sophia usually doesn't speak about her plans and keeps things to herself the majority of the time. That was until she met the Exalt."

"........So she was speaking the truth that she owed Lady Emmeryn a favor," Frederick muttered and Henry just stared at him.

"You think it was a favor?" The mage muttered, "You really should get out and speak to people. Just because someone helps another person, doesn't mean they own them a favor." He finished changing his bandages.

"Sorry, that wasn't what I was implying. " Frederick spoke quickly to clear the misunderstanding, "I was under the impression that Sophia owed the Exalt a debt."

"That's Sophia. Emmyren didn't do anything like that. Sophia most likely feels she failed Emmeryn." Henry smiled as he turned to the table to open his tome.

"Why would she feel she failed the Exalt if she was part of the reason Lady Emmeryn was executed?" Frederick said coldly and Henry froze.

The temperature around the knight almost seemed to drop as the mage spoke suddenly in a frightening tone.

"You think Sophia is responsible?" Henry spoke coldly as the smile on him was becoming frightening, "I'm going to go before I turn you to slime."

The mage quickly left before he set the man on fire. Frederick groans as he lets himself slump back to the bed.

"You're making everyone hate you." The man suddenly snapped his head quickly to his left and nearly had a heart attack when he saw the said woman holding her head but very much alive.

Sophia let out a tired groan as she forced herself to sit and turn to him with a weak glare.

"You think I'm at fault? I did everything within my power to stop her execution and my plan went to hell because of Aversa....." Sophia muttered as she was struggling to stand.

Frederick, despite partly injured, can at least now walk a bit. He carefully stood up and walked around, catching her before she fell onto the floor.

"......" Her only response was silence as he helped her get on the bed, next to him, "How long was I out...?" She muttered.

"Counting today, four days." Frederick answered as he sat down next to her, "The fae and your two companions have been watching over us."

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"I..."

"Listen..."

Both looked at each other shocked and then looked away. Again, both tried to talk but unfortunately, failed miserably. Another awkward silence was made until Morgan burst through the door, in a panic. The two adults turned and Sophia knew that looked. Despite the state she was in, she stood up and quickly began to push Frederick to the wall on the right.

"You need to hide!" She growled and pushed him through it.

Behind the wall, was a secret room Sophia discovered that could only be accessed through magic. He could hear shouting and it seemed Morgan was trying to stall someone as Sophia ripped off the blankets on the bed and shoved them under. Quickly the woman kept running around, hiding her tools along with the medicine. Frederick could see what was going on but no one could see him. The room was made that way to spy on someone on the other side. Sophia found great use of it to create her plans and also where she did surgery on Frederick. The door to the bedroom slammed open and Morgan was thrown into the air. Sophia quickly caught him, nearly tumbling down with him.

The one to emerge from the door was Aversa, a furious look on her face.

"You!" The woman snarled as Sophia stood up yet had no emotions on her face as she stood in front of Morgan, "What have you done?!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Sophia narrowed her eyes as the woman walked up to her at a fast pace.

"Yes, you do! The entire army is in dismay!" Aversa roared, "Soldiers are leaving the army! They chant that name of the Exalt!" She growled, "They are putting down their weapons!"

"What?" Frederick whispered but no one could hear him.

Aversa paced back and forth, then pointed to her. Morgan flinched as the blue hair woman only smiled.

"That's good news in my book. It means Grimleal and Gangrel have lost." Sophia grins and Aversa nearly lunged at her.

"How dare you? Years of Lord Validar's works have crumbled and the ritual failed! **You!** All of this is your fault! If you haven't been brought here, none of this would happen!" Aversa's fingers twitched as if ready to claw her open alive, "Father did everything and you ruined it all!"

"Father?" Sophia scoffed, "Please if anything, the man only cared about power. We're all nothing but pawns to this chess game called life."

"Is that what you believe we are? Pawns? Ha!" Aversa laughed, "Clearly you do not understand Lord Validar's greatness. It is because of him that Grimleal stands where it is! Years of research and experiments have made Plegia and Grimleal what it is today! A land of advanced magic beyond what the other nations! To bring glory to Lord Grima. Lord Validar acknowledged my talent and took me in. Raising me as his child and taught me everything about the dark arts I know today. You, who knows nothing about what it is to rule, only granted the role of a leader in the shadows. _You know nothing_." She hissed.

"I know nothing..." every single emotion left Sophia's face as Aversa smirked.

The woman circled her with a predatory gleam on her eyes. She leaned a bit forward as she crooked a finger.

" _Poor, poor_ , Sophia. Abandoned by your mother. Spat at and beaten. Stabbed and betrayed left and right." Sophia's eyes went wide suddenly as she felt her blood turn cold.

"How does she know about my mother?!" The woman was silent as Aversa just smiled.

"You think we of Grimleal don't know?" Aversa grins, "It was only for a few minutes but Lord Validar and I saw a glimpse of your past before you were summoned here. My, my. C _old. Void. Soulless._ " She chuckled, "You have no one of your family alive except one person you will never meet again. You are alone. A mother who abandoned you and then killed the step-siblings you loved. Grandparents that passed away from sickness. Your father was killed in an accident. Spat at and criticize for saving lives. Even called a _murderer._ " The woman now stood in front of her.

Sophia bit her lip hard, that it broke the skin a bit, blood dripping a bit. Morgan only looked at his teacher horrified. He knew none of this. All of this information was new to him. Her future self never spoke of her past and whenever the subject was brought up, she immediately shut it down.

"All alone." Aversa mused, "Not loved. Not cared for. Left to survive at a young age. Your family all gone at such a young age. Why not just..." she tapped her chin, " _make the world burn?_ "

"....fu...fu..."

Aversa's smile morphed to scowl as Sophia was shaking, soft chuckles could be heard.

**Anger.**

Pure rage and hatred Sophia felt like the darkness in her heart, the monster she made sure to keep tied on a leash, is coming out. Frederick was stunned as he listened and covered his mouth, thinking.

"Is what is the witch saying is true? Her family...truly is gone?" Even more than he has learned that her mother would beat her.

Sophia's eyes went dark, evil as her grin became feral like a best as she laughed. This side she detested more than anything in the world but no way was she letting Aversa go. She insulted her father. She insulted her grandmother and grandfather. She insulted her cousin. She insulted her siblings. How dare she praise her bitch of a mother?!

"Fu...Ufu...Hahahahahahaha!"

Sophia broke into a manic laugh as she was done hearing Aversa's pathetic speech. The woman laughed loudly that even Morgan was becoming scared. Sophia raised her arms as if presenting herself. Her eyes were cold, cruel, as she spoke. At this point, she did not care that she was dropping low. _She was done_. She is tired of this damn war. She was tired of everyone telling her what to do. She was tired of being the center of attention. The only reward she is now getting is being insulted. She didn't care right now if her perfect little image was destroyed. It didn't matter at this point. Her future self was also in ruins.

"Oh, Aversa. You think Validar cared about you?" She starts, "The only thing that man cared about was power and his child who he desires back. His _"biological"_ child. Everything you have done, every order you have followed, you have only been manipulated like a marionette. After all....a marionette has strings that can be controlled and cut when they are no longer useful. Validar doesn't care about you. You're just the forgotten one who has temporarily taken the place of his golden child." Her grins became wicked as she saw how Aversa was suddenly hit with the hard truth.

**_"You're just adopted._** "

**SLAP!**

The knight's eyes went wide as Aversa's slap rang throughout the room. Even if he was hidden, he could see what was being spoken. Rage unlike anything was all over Aversa's face. The woman snarled and used enough force to split Sophia's lip upon impact with her palm. The blue hair woman just turned back at her with a wicked look of her own.

"Ah. So the bitch does have some bite to her bark?"

"I’LL KILL YOU!"

"Ahahahahahahaha!" Sophia laughed as if she went insane.

Morgan was terrified as Sophia threw her head back, the black fog that surrounded her only thickened as she crooked her finger at Aversa. She licked her lip, the cut healing itself as she grinned.

"Oh? Now you're angry? Why should an adopted child be happy when I just told you the truth? You're nothing but a replacement to his " _golden_ " child. The minute Validar has the chance, he will drag that child back and you shall be knocked down from the throne you were placed on. You're nothing but a marionette that will be discarded. Nothing but a bitch who uses power for selfish behavior. Run back to your dead daddy and stupid blood king before I ripped your throat out." Sophia grins, "You don't know me. You don't know anything. Watch your back because I will make sure you are stabbed!"

Aversa snarled but turned around, storming outside the bedroom. The woman nearly bumped into Henry. The mage only watched as the white-haired woman left furiously towards the balcony. Morgan was shaking as Sophia had a wicked and satisfied smile as she turned to look at the boy.

"Are you scared?" Her smile became small and the boy nodded, "Figured." She closed her eyes and just felt drained.

All the anger she felt suddenly melted away as she slid down to her knees. Bryhildr hummed in bliss from feeding on the negative energy and smiled.

"Want to take care of the Grimleal mages that have returned to the capital?" She muttered and Sophia just gave her nod.

_"Kill every last one of those insects."_

The shadows moved and left to take care of the pest in the city. Henry was silent as he walked in and knelt to meet her eyes. The woman he sees before him is someone who is tried and has been through hell all her life. Her eyes were void, just when she first met him. As if the months of progress, all went away in an instant.

"I'll let him out," Henry muttered as Sophia nodded a bit.

The mage walked to the wall and stuck his hand through, helping the knight walkout. Henry was a bit surprised to see the knight was silent as Morgan helped Sophia stand up. The mage walked towards the window and looked out, seeing Aversa cursing like no tomorrow.

"Wow." Henry didn't know if he should be laughing or feel sorry for Aversa, "Umm....You really went there." He saw the Dark Flier take off from the balcony.

"Henry..." she looked at him with half-lidded eyes, a dry stare, "I'm tired. I'm sick of war. I just want to have a proper rest. I don't care anymore. _I'm done_. What I said was nothing to the even more detail tongue lashing I was going to unleash." She muttered.

"Just what exactly were you going to say?"

"The only reason she has power is that her biological parents are dead and she has daddy attention issues."

Frederick began to wish he never heard what she just said. He isn't one to feel pity for the enemy but right now, it was a rare moment he felt sorry for Aversa. Sophia sighs as she walks up to Frederick and gives him a small vow.

"I am sorry you had to witness all of that. That...is a side of me I am not proud of." She muttered and Frederick shook his head.

"While I am not a fan of hearing such things," he gave her a small smirk, "I admit, she had it coming. I almost feel sorry for her." He stared at her for a bit, " _Almost._ "

"Pfft." Sophia laughed and quickly covered her mouth to hide it.

Somehow, seeing her laugh made Frederick smile a bit.

"Anyhow!" Sophia coughed, "You should be healed in three more days. You're allowed to walk around a bit but not too much."

**[-----]**

Another three days passed and Frederick was having a quick recovery. The knight was surprised to see how quickly he was recovering. Sophia had a satisfied glint in her eyes as the knight swallowed his pride, holding her hands as she took a step backward as he took one forward.

"Not bad." She hummed, "Your movement with your left leg is getting better and thankfully the muscles have healed enough. How's your vision?" She referred to his remaining eye.

The man now wore an eye patch over where his left eye would be. Frederick let go of a sigh as he took another step.

"I am adjusting." The man sighs, "I can move my right arm now and also my fingers, however...." he glared at his left leg, "my left leg has different ideas."

"It's weak. Give at least another two days of physical therapy and you should be able to start training. Stretching and basic push-ups. No ridiculous trading regiment till next month." Sophia chastises and he let go of a frustrated sigh.

"How are you fairing?" He suddenly asked and Sophia blinked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I know Aversa's words affected you greatly. The anger I saw in your eyes, I have seen it before....from someone I know." He muttered and Sophia sighs.

It was a topic she did not want to talk about, especially with him. But...she looked back to him, her eyes searching for some form of deception.

"You do not trust me," Frederick stated the obvious.

"Of course I don't." She muttered and subconsciously touched her right shoulder.

Frederick cringed, remembering that _he_ is the one that inflicted the wound.

".....Frederick," Sophia muttered and his eye went wide since it was the first time she was saying his name.

It's either _you, him, they_ but she never once has addressed him by his name. It was a surprise but for some reason, it was a welcomed one.

"What...is it like to be loved?" She asked and the man looked at her surprised.

"Can you clarify?" He asked with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Sophia let go of a small huff but nodded as she was still helping him walk.

"What is it like to be surrounded by people that genuinely care about you? That asks\ you if you are alright? To have friends? To be surrounded by people you trust?" She muttered shyly and the man chuckled a bit.

She glared.

"I'm not laughing at you." Frederick reassured her, "I am just surprised to be asked such questions. How do I explain this..?" The man muttered as she let go of his hands, "To be surrounded by loved ones. They are people who make you laugh, smile. Sometimes even cause shenanigans or...sigh...annoy you." He suddenly had a flashback when Lissa put frogs in his boots.

"As for trust..." he smiled a bit, "that is built through time. Through actions and words trust is built." He said.

"Hard to believe I am hearing that from you. You are known as _Frederick the Wary_." Sophia comments and he sighs.

"I have my reasons. I'm sure you also have your own. I take my job seriously. I'm sure you understand that many would like the head of the heads of the royal family." Frederick states clearly and she nodded.

"I do. I learned the life of a noble...the hard way. So I understand what it is like to live constantly watching your back." She muttered as he looked at her a bit worried.

"Tell me." He muttered as she looked up to him, "Why did you truly choose to allow the Grimleal to force you into the role of a ruler? As well as why did you warp Lysithea to Ylisse." He asked.

Sophia was silent. That's right. She never did say why. She had already made the decision long ago.

"The reason I chose to warp Lysithea to Ylisse because I knew she would be safe." Sophia began as she looked down to her hands, they were shaking, "I knew...there was a chance that Grimleal could get their hands on me once I heard rumors of me were born. Even worse....when I learned those like the Exalt, Khans, and...Gangrel, heard the rumors of a traveler healing people with...unknown methods. To the people of Regna Ferox, Ylisse, and Plegia, my methods and knowledge of medicine, are considered miraculous. One example..." she bit her lip as she looked up to him, "is how I saved you."

Frederick looked at her shocked. Sophia took a deep breath as she continued to speak.

"I'm not from Archanea. I wasn't born in any of the three nations or Valm. I'm...not here by choice...I...was taken away from my homeland." Sophia bit her lip, "I...don't know the details but from what I was able to learn from the Grimleal, a ritual was performed to summon a person of a lost bloodline. I...don't know what bloodline I come from. It shouldn't even be possible." She bit her lip.

"Why?" He asked and Sophia was not going to say that this world was a video game in hers. Archanea is a fictional world. It should have been that. It should be that. The people she has met are fictional yet, here she stands. Fiction is now a reality, whether she likes it or not. And it should in no way be possible that she a descendent of someone with Archanea blood. Blood of Archaneas should not run on her veins. _It should not_. She doesn't understand how it's even possible. The very thought that someone from this world crossed over to her world, made her shiver.

"But...the ritual was a success and not only summoned me but also someone else. However...it seems there was an error in the ritual. I was summoned near the seaside of Plegia and whoever the other person is, ended up in Valm. They are also called " _Saint_ ''. Frederick...I'm no Saint. I never will be. I'm...just a doctor who has been taken away from her home. And...I can never return to my homeland, because...the path to it...does not exist at all in Archanea." Her lip quivered a bit.

"The original plan was for me to be summoned before Validar and have my memories erased. They were planning to groom me...into a priestess that would serve Grima. In a way...." she wanted to vomit when she was about to speak the next sentence.

"A sacrifice."

Sophia looked at Frederick shocked and the knight quickly covered his mouth, also in shock.

"You were supposed to be presented as a sacrifice along with the other person that was summoned." The man suddenly felt disgusted.

To think the Grimleal would go so far. He didn't know how to exactly feel. If the Grimleal had succeeded...right now their conversation wouldn't even be possible. If they were on the battlefield, she would have been standing beside the Grimleal. What type of enemy would she have been? He recalls giving the reports of the rumors about the saint performing miraculous healings. The man let go of a shuttered breath and he saw her shift a bit nervously.

"....Do...answer my question. Why did you allow the Grimleal to force you into a ruling position even after discovering that they took you away from your homeland?" The man said and Sophia nodded.

"Information." Sophia muttered, "But also....because I would never forgive myself if I turned my back on the people of Plegia. When I first arrived, I learned from Henry that I washed ashore with a few of my belongings. He is the one that found me and took me to Faezah Village to heal. The people of Plegia, while I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms, I eventually earned my place. I grew to love the land and culture. But even more...I couldn't turn my back on the people that were suffering. I saw the state villages were in. People dying from starvation. Children were malnourished. Famine ravaged the lands and the king would not do anything. I'm a doctor. I made an oath to save lives." Sophia states, "No way in my good conscience could I abandon the people that took me in."

"I traveled all over Plegia healing as much as I could. I met Tharja, I met Lysithea. The more people I met through my travels, the more I...began to care. And that's...when Grimleal struck...where it hurts the most. The village that took me in...they took everyone hostage. If I did not join Grimleal...Validar would have ordered his mages to massacre the entire village, not even the children would be spared. Lysithea...they wanted her also because she is a refugee from Valm who escaped the war. As for me...I learned the real reason they made me a Shadow Ruler. Not only to spread the influence of Grimleal but strengthen Plegia itself. My body...my magic, can directly synchronize with the Earth Vein. I took advantage of the position they gave me to save as many as I could. Winter was coming and I knew the people would not make it through. I was taught the magic arts of Grimleal. I used my influence to gather information but also to distribute medicine and knowledge to help the people. I used my power to build orphanages to help war orphans. I used the money that was given, in the black market to free fae and slaves as I could. I forbade the Grimleal mages from kidnapping women and children from the villages. I...I did what I could to also sabotage Gangrel's war efforts. I had spies pass information to Ylisse and Ferox to help turn the ties of war...but most of all..." she grit her teeth.

"I...wanted to prevent the execution of the Exalt. But...my plan did not work...because..." she let go of a shuttered breath, "The Grimleal...used me as a sacrifice to summon a DeadLord. However...." her smile became bitter.

"It backfired." Frederick muttered and she nodded, "However...I somehow have a feeling you are responsible for summoning the Risen Queen."

"What?!" Sophia looked at him shocked, "I had no idea such a Risen Lord existed. And from what I also learned from Henry, not even the Grimleal or Gangrel were expecting such a thing! The only DeadLord I am responsible for summoning is..." he raised his hand a bit and she stopped.

"The one of purple and black mist...correct?" He muttered and she nodded, "I heard from Morgan that the two DeadLords fought each other."

"They did..." Sophia sighs, "Bryhildr...managed to stop the Risen Queen from killing the Khans, Prince Chrom and Robin. Wait..." she raised an eyebrow at him, " how do you know about Bryhildr?"

"She threatened to kill me if I made a move on you along with the fae. Based on the way you spoke, not even you know her true appearance." Frederick said and Sophia turned to look over to the four giggling fae on her bed.

"We care~" All four sang and Claude gave a hoot of approval and Sophia dragged her hand down her face.

"I...apologize on their behalf. Brynhildr....is difficult. The only reason she obeys my orders is that we have a symbiotic relationship. She's bound to me by some form of a contract. She's..an ally of sorts." She could hear Bryhildr huff at the back of her mind, "As for Aqua, Ariel, Sidi, and Wendy, I'll make sure to take away their favorite fruit snacks for a week."

"Traitor!"

All four fae cried out and Frederick chuckled a bit.

"I...thank you for the explanation." Frederick nodded to her and she nodded back.

"If I may ask, what will you do after the war?" His question caught her off guard.

Sophia was silent.

"I...the..thought never crossed my mind." She gulps.

It never once occurred to her what she will do after the war. The first thing she had planned was to go to Regna Ferox and locate a village where Emmyren could live peacefully after doing at least 3 months of therapy with her. But after that....she...

"God, I don't know." Sophia let out a startled gasp as she looked at him frantically, "I...never once thought that ahead. I think I may have thought just to dip."

"To dip?" Frederick raised an eyebrow.

"It's another way of saying to just go wherever the road takes me." Sophia clarified.

In reality, it means to run. She is a war criminal. They all are. They pretty much committed horrible acts during this war. The woman let go of a sigh.

"Anyhow, now you know how and why I ended up in the position I am." She points to the bed, "Go back and rest. I'm going to go cook dinner for us."

**[-----]**

"You're having fun." Henry smiled as he had his elbows propped on the table while he watched Sophia cut meat into pieces.

"If you mean helping the man recover and me making him swallow his pride...hmm..maybe." she shrugs as she puts the meat in the pot along with vegetables.

"I overheard the conversation between you two." He smiled and Sophia gave him a small glare, "You left some details."

"No way in hell I'm telling him that I was tortured to summon Bryhildr," Sophia said as she turned back to stir the stew.

"True. But...seriously...I was a little hurt when you talked about trust." He says and Sophia turned to him a bit ashamed.

"I'm sorry if it sounded like I don't trust. Henry, " she looked at him seriously, "I trust you, Tharja, Derrick, and Morgan with my life. I admit we didn't start on the right foot, but through these past months, you and everyone have done so much for me. You all helped and were there for me in my darkest times. You all helped me learn what it's like to feel emotions again as well as learn more about this world. To me...you're all...I can't believe I'm about to use this word..." her face was becoming redder by the second as she struggled, "f-f-fa...fa..."

Henry was becoming a snickering mess as he was witnessing his friend struggle to say the most basic word the describe a group of people closest to you.

"Fa...Fa..FAMILY!" And she slammed her face on the table.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Henry held his stomach as the woman covered her face in embarrassment.

He reached across the table and patted her head. She gave him a peak. His grin was infectious as he looked at her.

"Don't worry, big brother Henry will look out for you!" He grins and Sophia couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Wait, isn't it little brother?"

"Let me have my moment!"

**[----]**

There was a tense silence at the dinner table as both Morgan and Henry were desperately trying not to burst out laughing as they watched the scene play before them. Sophia cooked dinner today. She made a nice stew with vegetables and some chocolate pastries for dessert. However, the meat she used is what is making the knight make a face as he stared at the piece of meat she held up to him to eat.

"This bear meat," Frederick said in a blunt tone as Sophia just held the fork up to him.

It had a piece of meat covered with herbs a bit of butter. Sophia just had a blank face.

"It is." She made the fork go a bit closer to him.

"You're doing this on purpose!" Frederick glared at her, "You are enjoying seeing me suffer right now, aren't you?!"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't." Sophia's eye held a wicked glint in them, "But you need to eat. We ran out of chicken and this was the only meat left. Just eat it." Sophia made the fork get closer and he leaned away quickly.

"I would eat bread instead." He growled.

"Just eat this!" She snapped, "Besides, bear meat ain't that bad. I used to eat bear meat all the time growing up when I would hunt with my father. Also, bear meat tends to taste after the last meal the animal ate. In this case, the bear's last meal was berries " Sophia glared.

"I will n-!" And took the opportunity to shove it into his mouth.

Frederick turned blue and his run reached out towards the ceiling.

"The light...I see..the light.." Sophia just rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic!"

At this point, the two mages had burst out laughing like madmen as they watched the two fight like a married couple.

"If you don't eat this, I will make you." Sophia glared at him.

"And how will you do that?" He gave her a small smirk and Sophia just smiled.

"It's not the first time I have fed someone medicine mouth," she tapped her lips and then pointed to his, "to mouth."

Oh, Sophia was enjoying seeing the knight turn crimson. This was her way of making him suffer after he made her unleash her rage on the roof. Morgan began stuttering because of what he just heard and Henry was going to tell Derrick and Tharja about this when the war was over.

"Y-You...you wouldn't dare." He stuttered and Sophia chuckled darkly as she stood up to lean a bit more towards him.

"Try me if you dare." She smiled and the knight began leaning back.

At this rate...

"GHAA!"

The trio began hollering when the chair fell back from him trying to lean away. Sophia took the opportunity to shove another piece of meat into his mouth.

"Beggars can't be choosers ~" She sang as she looked down at him with her hands on her hips, "Now shut up and eat."

The man let out a groan as she helped him back up and fixed the chair. Frederick hates bear meat, that was a fact. The man began eating but he noticed something.

"It's...not gammy." He muttered and Sophia smiled.

"That's because I know how to prepare it properly." She grins, "My grandfather would hunt the bear, my father would gut it, my grandmother prepared the meat for a feast. And I would be taught how to cook it. It's the same with alligator meat too." She took a bite of her food.

"Oh, storytime?" Henry grins and Sophia thought for a moment.

".....hmm...You know what, yes." She hummed and Morgan grins, "When I was around 7 years old, my grandparents and father would take me hunting with them to the woods in the land we lived in. In my country, certain animals are illegal to hunt or ones that you are allowed to hunt but they have to be a specific height, age, and size. Also, you're allowed a certain amount." She explains.

"Why are specific animals illegal to hunt or only a certain amount?" Morgan asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Well, unfortunately in my country many animals were hunted down to the point of extinction. As a way to help those animals repopulate as well as protect them, they are branded by the government as endangered species. This to protect them from poachers. And, if the law is broke and those animals are killed, the person that did it could be sent to prison for years or life." Sophia said and pointed to the stew.

"One example, bears. They are allowed to be hunted, ONLY if you have permission from the government." She says and Frederick held his chin.

"Interesting...if I may ask, what is your country like?" Frederick asked and Sophia frowned a bit.

"It's....decent. We don't have wyverns or pegasi. Not even fae or magic. Those are things of fairy tales, legends, and myths. I knew about magic but only because I grew up reading stories about it. As for...Archanea...I grew hearing stories about it because it's a myth. At least...that's what I thought till...I was brought here." She sighs and they give her a concerned look.

"Anyhow," she shook her head, "the country is run by the common folk. There are rich people but they are known as the one percent. Very few. Hmm...for me...It took me...7 years to reach my level of knowledge. Years of studying paid off." She sighs, "You know...I might cook a few dishes from my homeland just so you all can try them."

"I call dibs on the sweets." Morgan quickly declared.

“I don’t remember teaching you that.”

“ _You_ did.” ( _A.k.a your future self did_.)

“……..Fu—”

“Language!”

“Nyahahaha!”

**[----]**

Three more days passed and Frederick has recovered and could move properly again. However, his left knee unfortunately is not as strong as before. Sophia made him a knee brace that could be strapped on. This will allow him to run and also do his ridiculous training regiment. Poor Morgan got dragged into it by Henry. Sophia let go of a sigh as she was currently in the bathroom of Emmyren's former room. She's been letting Frederick stay in her room. She carefully removes her bandages and cringes at the scars all over her body. It looked like she was made of glass. The scars looked like cracks all over her. She looked at her hands, the scars also there but most of all, her left hand. The bandage wrapped around it had some sort of seal to prevent her from taking it off. She walked into the shower, washing herself off and making sure she was clean. The past few days for her have been interesting. While yes, she and the knight do not trust each other, they have come more to civil terms. She's still annoyed by his way of personality but at least he has relaxed a bit. He now knows that Henry and Morgan aren't dangerous. Frederick gets along well with Morgan. The boy did tell her that in the future, Frederick is like an uncle to him, thus, why he calls him " _Uncle Frederick_." Of course, he doesn't call him now because apparently, Frederick has commented about his hair. It's the same colors as Chrom's. Frederick isn't dumb. It's only a matter of time till he connects the dots.

"Ughhhhhh.....Why?" Sophia let out a groan as she walked out of the shower to dry herself.

She grabbed the Warlock dress that she modified to be able to move around easily. The sides were slit, her chakarms on her waist along with the dagger. She put on her boots along with tights, and lastly, her cloak.

Leaving the garden and walking into the capital only took a few minutes. First off, she was going to go pick of Frederick's armor. It was heavily damaged from the explosion and needed to be repaired. While normally she doesn't pay for other people's things, she paid a hefty amount to get the damn thing repaired. She let go of a sigh as she entered the shop and saw the blacksmiths working away.

"Helios!" She yelled out and a man peaked up from his work.

"Aye Sophia! I told you a hundred times already not to suddenly just come in!" The man, Helios, yelled out from his table as he was working on blueprints.

"Sorry, but it's serious. Is the armor I paid you to repair ready? Along with the one for the horses and wyverns?" She asked as the man walked up.

He was covered in a bit of soot but his face held concern as she placed another small bag of gold coins.

"You are heading to the war?" He muttered and Sophia paused her movements.

Many in the shop also stopped working to listen to her answer, yet she let go of a sigh as she looked up to them. Her smile was full of grief but her eyes said that it was time for a chapter to end. The man nodded to her and smiled a bit bitterly as he waved to one of his workers to go get the armors.

"Just make sure you live." He says and Sophia nodded.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to come back after this. There is a high possibility Gangrel or Aversa will put a bounty on me." She mutters and Helios nods in understanding.

"Be safe out there. And, you're welcome to Plegia, no matter what."

**[-----]**

"And that's the last one!" Morgan and Sophia stood proudly in the now empty library of the Garden.

Sophia got a portion of her magic with the help of Morgan and Henry to store ( _steal_ ) all the books into her magic space closet along with whatever valuable item they could find. The inside of the garden looked barren. They packed up all the materials in the magic labs, food, tomes and books, and many other things.

"Morgan, you go rest. I still need to do one more thing." Sophia sighs and the boy looks at her confused.

And the question he had was answered when she pulled out the black tome. The boy instantly hid behind a shelf as he peeked out, taking deep breaths. Sophia looked at him shocked, he wasn't in pain.

"I'm...immune for some reason to that book. I don't know why. I don't feel any pain but...when I see it...for some reason, your future self comes to mind. I remember..." his eyes furrowed a bit, "you never let it go."

Sophia was silent as she looked at him shocked but then back to the tome. Ever since she became Brynhildr's master as well as that strange lamp going inside her, she has felt different.

_"The lamp has chosen you as its master. It was created during the golden age of magic. It's creator lived in the outskirts of Archanea before she chose to live in Thabes. This lamp is created from the scales and bones of dragons that had to be killed because of degeneration and a shard from the fang of Naga. The lamp has responded to the blood in your veins but also, your soul. While I do not know what power it has, something about...feels...off."_

The woman sighs as she opens it and sees the little sticky notes she has written along with what she was able to decipher. The tome, like before, was also a diary. This belongs to a woman. The contents in the book vary from speaking about life, marriage, even spells and formulas that Henry and Tharja expressed _(from a safe distance)_ they have never seen. However, what was disturbing was finding transmutation circles in the pages. Alchemy. Sophia was able to translate a few formulas. One of them was summoning a familiar using a corpse corrupted by dark magic. She didn't know why but for some reason, she chose to go back to the Loptous temple. This, of course, was without telling anyone.

**_\- Flashback to 2 days ago -_ **

****

_Despite the country being Plegai, the temperature in winter....is a fucken nightmare. Sophia sneezed loudly as the magic circle under her feet faded away. She used the outrealm gem to warp, and life has been so much easier for her. She groaned loudly as she began walking, shivering because it was early in the morning and the air was still very cold. Snow has just started falling and thankfully blizzards don't exist in Plegia. But the hellish cold still does. She wore her Warlock dress with a fluffy wool cloak. The woman let go of a puff of a breath, seeing it turn to fog because of how cold it is. The sun was just barely rising as it peaked out from the horizon. The former dessert was becoming filled with a life of green. The blue-haired woman was just glad she knitted herself gloved days ago for this. While the temple brought a feeling of unease to her, she needed to come back. Why did they want her to summon the deadlords? They weren't even able to be summoned properly and from the months she was trapped in Grimleal, she learned the attempted summons were never successful._

_"So why me? Why is my blood special?" Sophia muttered as she took out her custom tome and made it float in front of her as she walked around. Now that the sun was up, she could see the temple properly. The stones in the center were set up in a circular formation, like Stonehenge. The next four corners were set up in a square formation with different markings and also text. The magic circles she saw turned out to be carved stone pedestals. A total of 13 of them. Each one had a different symbol that corresponded to the Zodiac animal. She found it a bit strange that astrology as well as alchemy circles were all around the place. When she was first brought, she couldn't get a good look at it because was dark. Not to also mention how angry she was seeing women and children on the verge of being sacrificed._

**_"Why have you brought us here?!"_ **

_Brynhildr's voice boomed furiously as the deadlord made her presence known. She appeared in a swirl of black and silver flames but just for a moment, Sophia saw the color of her hair. It was a beautiful shade of silver purple before it was engulfed again by the black and silver fog. The Deadlord's eyes were furious as her staff glowed with crimson energy, as if ready to turn her to ashes._

_"Bryn." Sophia spoke carefully be that crimson glow was scaring her, "I know you hate this place because it's dedicated to...him (Loptous), but I want to find out why the Grimleal was dead set on me in summoning your kin. As well as why they kept mentioning my bloodline." She explained and the deadlord only glared._

_The tension in the air was just becoming worse and Brynhildr glare was starting to worry Sophia that she was going to be turned to ashes at the rate it was going. Brynhildr let go of a snarl and pointed her staff at her._

_" **Five hours**." Sophia blinked, " **Five hours and then we leave. This place only brings feelings of rage and sorrow."** The deadlord snarled._

_Sophia nodded and began her exploration. She grimaced as she found the corpse of a fallen Risen general but some dark magic remained in it. The first one she walked to was to the pedestal. On it was carved a woman from the head to the waist. Her armor was ancient, a type she had never seen before but looking down to the floor, there were a few burnt marks._

_"This I know was done by you." Sophia muttered as the living Deadlord only ket out an annoyed grunt, "Were they on the verge of being summoned?"_

_" **Yes**." Bryhildr growled, " **Right when the magic circles were going to eat away those children and women. I used a combination of Thorn and Silence to cut off the magic flow and destroy their bodies."** She explained._

_"Who is this...?" Sophia muttered as she placed her hand on the moss-covered text._

_She used a bit of water and fire magic to clean the stone. Yet when the text was cleaned, eyes went wide._

_" **What's wrong?** " Bryhildr looked at her with a concerned gaze._

_"I can read this...." Sophia whispered in a panic tone, "How....?! I shouldn't be able to read the ancient language of Archanea! I was never taught how."_

_" **The lamp**." Bryhildr sighs as her gaze turned to the stone statue, " **I do not know its origins much but it is allowing you to break the language barrier. And that includes reading**." She looked down at the text._

_"The first one says...Canis. This is the Deadlord Canis. But...there is also a carving of her riding some sort of...dog. Makes sense....she is named after the dog in the Chinese Zodiac." Sophia muttered as she held her chin a bit._

_" **Chinese Zodiac? I do not understand. What is this nonsense you speak of?"** Bryhildr glared._

_"Sorry. Just...some knowledge from my world. Let's see..." Sophia stepped a bit closer, "The element of the dog is also the earth. Energy is yang and it also represents the season of autumn....." she wrote in her tome._

_" **Before she became a Deadlord.** " Bryhildr suddenly spoke, " **She was a general who was loyal to...that cult.** " Her voice cold as she continued, " **Fought till the end of her life. Loyal like a bloody dog. How fitting you meet your end by the Holy Blade."** She spat._

_Sophia glanced at her and then back to the text. She saw dates written next to names._

_"This one...Year 761...Sara..." she turned to Bryhildr, "Does the name sound familiar?" She asked._

_" **She was the granddaughter of the Archbishop that bloody cult..."** Bryhildr growls, **"But from snippets...I recall...she defected from the church."** She hums._

_" **However,"** her voice became grim, " **she did not survive the war. She became one of my kin."** And at that, Sophia looked back at the pedestal, horrified._

_That meant that Sara became a..._

_"She became a vessel..." Sophia felt the pit in her stomach sink, "I think I'm going to be sick."_

**_"Why are you surprised?"_ ** _Bryhildr looked back to her, **"The usage of vessels is not a new practice. It is something that has existed for ages. Why the most common example is Grima. He created a bloodline to ensure his survival. The usage of alchemy is also used to create artificial life to host souls that no longer have bodies. My body is a vessel. My will is created from fragments of this body's memories but also the revements of Grima's magic. But most importantly, you."** The Deadlord explains. _

_"Can...Grima controls you if he wishes..?" Sophia whispered as they walked to the next pedestal._

_" **Surprisingly...he can not**." Bryhildr muttered and Sophia looked at her surprised, **"I may have been summoned using his magic but that connection was erased the moment the lamp chose you to be its new master. Thus, the magic components of mine are no longer Grima's but...someone else's. I do not know who, unfortunately."** She glanced at the woman, " **Perhaps it is because your soul is more ancient than you think**." _

_"I better not be someone's reincarnation for I'm going to have a fit." Sophia huffed as they now stopped in front of the pedestal that was dedicated to the Deadlord, Bovis._

_The statue was that of a bow knight and once more, she cleaned the text and saw names._

_"Grima is using magic formulas that date back to the years Thabes still existed." Sophia muttered, "Necromancy with a touch of alchemy. Interesting."_

_She cringed reading "Year 761: Galzus" on the pedestal._

_" **What would you do if Grima chose to make you a Deadlord?** " Bryhildr asked and Sophia shivered._

_"To hell. I will make sure not even my bones are left for him to make use of my body." Sophia grimaced._

_" **Elaborate.** " The Deadlord raised an eyebrow at her._

_"I would turn myself into a nuclear bomb to make sure not even my ashes remain," Sophia replies smoothly while the Deadlord lets out a bitter laugh._

_"Don't jinx yourself."_

_"I'm just saying."_

_The woman let go of a sigh as she knelt, seeing some of the leftover black mud from a few weeks ago. She reached into her bag and pulled out her gloves. The fact she still had plenty of boxes of plastic gloves was huge save for her. She removed her wool ones and put on the plastic ones. She reached out and touched it._

_"Ughhh...." she grimaced as she felt the substance was like slime and cold, but she could feel some magic left in it._

_The tome next to her flips to a page. The letters glow a bit as the blank page now had spells and magic circles written on it._

_"A summoning circle. Hmmm...." she looked back to the gunk and then to the Risen corpse a few minutes away, "I'm going to assume this a summoning ritual, correct?" She spoke as if the tome would answer her._

_"Quuuii...Ruuu...." Sophia could have sworn Bryhildr jumped away when the tome made some sort of chirping sound._

_At this point, Sophia isn't surprised. She stood up and smiled a bit._

_"You want to help me?" She muttered and the tome circles around her, "Okay."_

**_\- Flashback over -_ **

The magic circle was drawn along with the residues of the risen corpse and black mud she collected from the leftover of the failed Deadlord summoning. Add with a few drops of her blood and the scales of manakete ( _she bought them in the black market_ ), the ritual was set. The tome floated around her again while Morgan was very worried.

"I'll be alright." Sophia gave him a reassuring smile as she stood in front of the magic circle.

Her hands spread out as black magic began to crackle in her hands. The tome floated in front of her, its pages flipping rapidly as she felt power surge. The feeling was different, almost as if she was going to sleep. Her veins on her fingers glowed a faint silver as her eyes glowed a bit of the same color. The magic circle lit up, the circles spinning as the contents in the center turned to dust. Gold colored words seemed to float out of the pages yet she could read them. It was as if her body had a mind of its own as she spoke.

**_The mgn'ghft ahor swallow nilgh'ri lw'nafh._ **

**_Y' wgah'n webs ng fabrics ot orr'e ng lloig._ **

**_Nog ya agent ng l' fm'latgh sunder orr'ee ahf' Y' mgvulgtlagln._ **

**_Nog, ya Aglas'thif!_ **

****

The magic circle glowed brightly then turned silvers. The ancient text turned to dust, the center glowed as a form was created. The light faded slowly as Sophia gently made her hands go down. She walked towards the form in the center, the smoke clearing. The two mages blinked multiple times as a small figure walked towards them, however...

"A cat?" Morgan sounded disappointed but raised an eyebrow when he saw it had crimson eyes.

The black cat purred as it rubbed itself on Sophia's leg. Sophia knelt and stared at the cat for a bit. She knows damn well the language she chanted was similar to R'lyehian. The cat stared back at her as she gently scratched it under its chin. It purred but Sophia's eyes widened slightly when she felt it.

"I see..." she sighs as she closed her eyes and smiled softly, "You're a fragment from _there_ , aren't you?"

They stared at her for more than a moment and almost seemed to nod.

"I'm very surprised that someone from this world was able to connect to that realm, even if for a moment." She continued to speak and the cat meows, "Can you speak?" It meowed again.

"That's no. But you can understand me." It purred, "I see. Shall I give you a name? Is that how I complete the contract?" She asked and the cat let out a long happy meow.

"Hmm..." she hummed, "I'll call you...Aglas."

She winced when she felt a sharp pain in her head but blinked when she heard a male voice ring in her head.

_"I shall serve you well."_

**[------]**

With her new familiar sitting on her shoulder, Sophia made her way to the training grounds behind the garden. She could hear yells and grunts as she got closer. The stables were near and she saw Frederick's horse sleeping peacefully next to Petra's stall. Petra was curled up like a cat with Asha. The knight thrust the training lance swiftly and then spun it. His strikes were deadly, with the intent to end his opponent. His vision was adjusting to one eye. Sophia was silent as she leaned onto the edge of the wall, watching him. He was wearing his armor but...

"God damn. Helios and his men did an amazing job of fixing the damn thing." Sophia hated to admit but she thought the knight looked amazing.

The armor had markings of gold and silver. Despite it looking a bit like his original armor, but with more bulk, he could move faster. It was lighter compared to the original he wore. Helios and his men were screaming curses when they tried to pick up the damn chest armor. Frederick let go of a sigh as he stopped, stabbing the training lance into the ground.

"Having trouble adjusting?"

He turned as he recognized the voice and saw Sophia walking towards him with arms crossed. A strange cat was on her shoulder. The man was silent for a moment as he studied her. She was wearing a strange mage dress he had never seen before.

"It is...a bit difficult but I am adjusting. But..." he looked at his armor, "I can move swiftly in this. It feels light compared to my previous armor." He comments as Sophia chuckles a bit.

"It's still the same armor just modified." She smiled a bit, "Your armor gave Helios and his men a run for their money. They were yelling out curses by how heavy it was." She did a light tap on his chest with her knuckles, "The armor was badly damaged and I had Helios and his men make a few modifications to it. While the build is still the same as Ylisse Knights, its structure is similar to the armor of a Plegain Berserker. Plegai Amor is built so that the person wearing it could move swiftly and fast. Also, to help them stay cool because the heat here is a nightmare." She chuckles.

"The craftsmanship is incredible. If I ever get the chance, I would like to thank those men." He smiled a bit and Sophia nodded.

"Frederick, I'm going to ask you a serious question." Sophia sighs as she looks into his eye, "What....is your current opinion of Plegia?"

"......." He was silent for a moment as he looked at his lance then let go of a sigh as he turned back to her, "The people of Plegia...I think I now understand Lady Emmyren's words. While you were busy, Henry showed me around the capital." He saw her about to panic, "Do not worry. I wore a hood to hide my identity, but I think one of the former Plegain generals did recognize me but chose not to say anything." He explained.

" **You have a lot of explaining to do to Mustafa**." Bryhildr hummed.

"I'm screwed." Sophia thought as Frederick continued to speak.

"I admit, my opinion is not so easily swayed, however, I do understand that the war was caused by Gangrel's bloodlust. Sigh...also because he was after the Fire Emblem." He sighs and looks back at her, "I...I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Sophia looked at him surprised and Algas chose to leave.

For a cat, he knew the direction this was heading to and he did not want to be present. Bryhildr also chose to leave.

"I accused you of being part of Lady Emmyren's execution as well as...a few other things I dare not voice." He closed his eye as he took a deep breath, "Walking through the capital, seeing for myself how much the people are working together to restore their home. Even in difficult times like this, they will do what they can to support each other. It's like Ylisse. I had a chance to speak with quite a few of the civilians and listen to their stories of how the war affected them and their families. Even a few of the elders who are war veterans from 15 years ago." He smiled a bit sadly, "Being able to learn what has happened on the enemies' end, our countries have many common things alike."

Sophia was silent and nodded.

"It's alright." She sighs, "I am also sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you a few days ago. I'm not going to lie...I do feel like I am responsible for many lives lost. I wish I could have done more but what is done is done. I can not go back in time to fix things." She looked at him, "You asked me what I plan to do after the war."

Again, there was a pregnant pause and she shook her head.

"I don't know. My only thoughts right now are that after this war leave Plegia and lay low for quite some time. Grimleal will label me as a criminal and Ylisse will want my head for being a member of Grimleal. So umm...yeah...um...laying low is my only option." Sophia gave him a crooked grin and the man shook his head.

"His Highness and the Shepherds are sure to understand the situation if you explain it to them," Frederick argued a bit and she shook her head.

"Frederick, I know...this is sudden but..." she held out her watch to him, "This...is better off with someone who needs it. Please give it to Lysithea. That is my favor to you." She smiled sadly.

Frederick was silent and gently pushed her hand back. His gaze was firm as he spoke.

"You give it to her." She looked at him shocked, "When this war is over..." he hesitated for a bit, "...I...you...sigh...I think you should speak to your friends. I'm sure they miss you." He muttered.

Sophia shook her head and smiled bitterly.

"After everything that has happened...I don't deserve to speak to them." She sighs.

"I beg to differ." Frederick stood up a bit straighter, "During my time here, I learned quite a bit. Especially about your personality."

"Oh?" Sophia smirked a bit as she crossed her arms, "Do tell. Do not hold back."

"You are blunt, rude, enjoyed seeing me struggle, and quite cold and irrational. You are also blunt and need to learn to control that sharp tongue of yours." Well, Frederick didn't hold back.

"I've been told all you just said, my entire life. Not anything new. I'm used to it." Sophia shrugs.

"I'm not finished." Frederick smirked, "You're disorganized. You are surprisingly quite forgetful unless the place is a mess. You have a strange habit of sleep talking." He saw her turn a bit pale, "But...despite the cold demeanor you put you...you're quite kind. I'm not one to usually do this but..." he bowed to her a bit, "Thank you for saving my life. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. I know...this is sudden but when this war is over," he stood back up and smiled a bit, "why don't you come to Ylisse?"

"....You're kidding, right?" Sophia looked at him with a blank face.

"I'm serious." Frederick turned to her fully, "As I said before, Prince Chrome knows of your situation. Lysithea and Felix would also welcome you with open arms along with the Shepherds. You have helped me and my people many times and you expect nothing in return. At least…think about it." He gave her a small smile.

**[------]**

It was late at night and Sophia couldn't sleep. The conversation with Frederick still played in her mind. It was the most she had spoken with the knight other than giving him instructions on his recovery time and what not to do, it felt...

"Nice," Sophia whispered as she laid on the bed, then turned a bit.

She hugged her pillow, letting go of a sigh as she looked at the window. Next to it, Aglas slept peacefully. The conversation made her wary. She honestly had no clue what she would do after the war other than hiding. Living in Plegia was no longer an option because her presence would just put another target on Mustafa and his family. Ylisse, definitely not because of The Shepherds and the fact she is hiding Emmeryn away. She does not want to be caught up in the drama if they discover the Exalt is alive. Valm? Fuck no. Her other option was Ferox. It was the safest and she could also secure a place Emmyren could live peacefully in. But....what struck out most to her, was Frederick asking her to think about living in Ylisse.

"I don't think that's possible...I don't belong with them." She closed her eyes a bit, "Once this war is over, I'll disappear."

It was selfish but she has no place with any of them.

_"I still need some growing up to do...."_


	18. Dance in the Skies

_"Grandma! Grandma!"_

_The little girl ran over to the older woman that sat beside the pond bed. She held something in her hands, her eyes a bit glassy as she stared at it. She took a deep breath as she turned to see her granddaughter running at her with a cheeky grin._

_"Morning Sophia. You're up early." The elder chuckled as she pounced into her arms._

_"I am! Papa is still asleep. Grandpa is asleep also. What are you doing here Grandma?" Sophia asked and the woman sighed a bit as she looked back to her hand._

_A gold and red-colored pocket watch with strange symbols the woman held._

_"Do you know what this is?" The older woman asked, and Sophia nodded._

_"Great Grandma's watch." Sophia blinked and the woman chuckled._

_"I never did tell you about your great grandmother and grandfather." The older woman sighed a bit as she gazed softly at it, "Your great grandmother was very kind and polite. But she would often hold her emotions back. At times she seemed cold but that isn't true. Ah, she loved sweets. And..." she chuckled a bit, "she would bake for us even though the servants protested each time."_

_"Great Grandma and Gramps were rich?" Sophia raised an eyebrow at her._

_"Something like that." The woman chuckled, "Your great grandfather was quite stubborn too! He had a strong sense of justice but unfortunately, he had the habit of making puns. I don't want to imagine the drama that would have happened if he or your great uncle met your grandfather." The woman laughed a bit nervous but smiled, "But that's just how he is."_

_"Grandma, can we visit your homeland one day? I want to meet and see the place you grew up in! Oh! Did you have brothers and sisters?" Sophia asked as the woman sighs._

_"I did. Three elder brothers and two elder sisters. I was the youngest of six." The old woman explained as she gently touched the watch._

_"What are they like?" Sophia asked as the woman smiled at fond memories from the past._

_"The two elder brothers taught me how to hunt and use a sword. They helped me with my reading and writing when I would struggle. And-"_

_**Splash!** _

_The old woman suddenly turned to look at the pond with narrowed eyes when she heard the splashing. The little one blinked, a bit confused as her grandmother turned back to her with a smile._

_"Dear, head back to the house. I'll be there in a bit. I think your father is making pancakes today." The old woman couldn't help but chuckle as the girl left running singing a tune._

_" Making pancakes, making Black Cat Pancakes nya~ Take a black Cat and then put it in a pancake nya~_ _" Sophia sang happily as she ran back home._

_The older woman smiled but it slowly faded away as she turned back to the pond with a scowl. There was a small creature surrounded by black fog, glaring at her. It suddenly lunged but even though she is old, years of training and growing up in a land where there is peace does not stop her from putting her guard down. The creature screeched as it split in half as it fell to the ground. The older woman glared at it as twitched, her palm glowed, and a flame was created._

_"You half dead shouldn't be here." She growled but the creature let out an inhuman cackle as it flickered._

_**"DOn'T thInK tHat ShE cAn eScaPe Fate! FaTe...cAnNOt Be ReSitEd. ShE bElOngS tO Lord G-SKRRREEEE!"** _ _They screamed as the flames engulfed it._

_It twitched and trashed till not even its ashes remained. The old woman let go of a sigh as she looked back to her watch. Her grip on it tightened as she snarled._

_"Over my dead body. I will never allow my granddaughter to suffer at the hands of that monster."_

**(-)**

With one final trip to the capital, Sophia made her way to her miniature clinic. She was silent as she entered and nearly passed out right there at the door when she saw Ahura along with Dana.

"Sis!" Dana lunged at her like a rocket and the woman screamed as she fell backward but still caught him in her arms.

He gave her a toothy grin as the others chuckled as he helped her stand up.

"What are you doing here?!" Sophia gawked as the boy's parents walked up to them.

"We came to say goodbye." Dana muttered and Sophia looked to Ahura and Mustafa nodded, "You're leaving Plegia...aren't you?"

Sophia sighed a bit as she patted the boy's head.

"I am. I won't be able to come back for a while." She smiled sadly and the boy pouted.

"When can we see you again?" He asked and Sophia shook her head a bit.

"I don't know. But, I want you to have this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a jade necklace.

The jade itself was cut into the shape of the Crest of Flames. Why did Sophia choose this? Because the kid is a little SpitFire when he gets sassy, like a certain gremlin. The necklace has been blessed by the fae to protect him and his family. She gently put the necklace on him and smiled.

"It's my gift to you. This isn't goodbye. We'll meet again someday." Sophia smiled softly and the boy hugged her tightly.

The woman hugged him back, gently caressing his head. What she felt now, was remorse that she is lying. With the situation she is in, she will never be able to come back to Plegia. She will have to be on the run or at least live someplace where no one could find her. It's the move of a coward but she wants them to be safe. She let go of the boy and stood up, looking towards Ahura and Mustafa. The woman smiled softly as she walked up with a parcel.

"Thank you for everything you have done not just for us, but for Plegia." The two women hugged each other tightly, "Be safe out there and live."

Sophia trying not to cry as she nodded and finally turned to Mustafa. The two stared at each other and he nodded, patting her head like a child.

"You have gone through thick and thin, now the real test begins the minute you walk into the battlefield." He muttered, "Good luck out there kid."

Sophia smiled nodded but also, she was waiting for Mustafa to say something. Seems the other two understood because they gave him a nod and left. There was tense silence till Mustafa spoke, letting out a small sigh.

"I'm curious as to why you saved the Ylisse Knight. You have your reasons, but I want to hear them from you." Mustafa said and Sophia nodded.

"He is Prince Chrom's retainer and...Exalt Emmyren...was a friend of his." She muttered and he nodded, "Before...I went missing, I made a promise to Emmyren that I would help her family. And Frederick is one of them." She looked up to him as she held her hands together, "I'm going to fight the war against Grimleal. Their reign of terror has gone far too long."

"I see... he closed his eyes for a moment, "But there is more to that, isn't it?"

"Yes." Sophia smiled a bit bitterly, "I have every intention to ruin the Grimleal. And...to pay back my debt to Lysithea. Unfortunately, the other reason I cannot speak of. I hope you understand."

Mustafa nodded as he let go of a sigh and patted her head once again.

"Best of luck out there. Take care of yourself, Sophia."

**(-)**

Arriving at the castle of Plegai after months felt odd. The place was empty for the most part except by the few mages and soldiers that defected from the army. They were using the resources of the castle to help rebuild the capital. The damage the war caused to the place was great. The damage the Risen Queen caused, made the place look as if it bombed multiple times. She walked around the halls of the palace, the tense feeling the castle is still there but not as bad as before. So, why was she here?

" **This castle...how strange.** " Bryhildr muttered as she was in Sophia's shadow, " **This is a sinister feeling here. It lingers but another thing...this place used to be warm.** " She looked around.

Sophia raised an eyebrow but smiled when she saw Aglas walking towards her. The cat purred happily as it licked its lips as it jumped up and made himself comfortable on her right shoulder. Claude was with Morgan.

"Did you enjoy your meal of Grimleal mages?" She smiled and the cat gave a happy meow.

Sophia chuckled a bit as she made a turn to the left and walked down the hallway. Eventually, she arrived at the library. There was no Validar, no Aversa, no Grimleal mages, she's going to take what she wants. And that, ladies, and gentlemen is the restricted section. Just because she was the " _Shadow Exalt_ " didn't mean she had access to several things. Her movements as well as certain topics she wasn't allowed to do but that didn't stop her. She made a small ball of fire float around her to light her way.

" **You're excited. I can see it all over your face.** " Brynhildr chuckled at the twinkle in Sophia's eyes, " **I sense a few things here but...make a turn to the left.** "

The turn was made, and they arrived at a strange bookshelf. Brynhildr manifested and touched the spine of a book. Carefully pulling it out, it was a dark red book with gold lettering and a red ribbon for a marker. She handed into to Sophia, her eyes a bit hazed.

 **"This book is a record of bloodlines that have been part of the Plegia nation."** She closed her eyes a bit, **"The geological structure of the land has changed over the past thousands of years. This book...use it as a clue to find out about your ancestors."** She muttered.

"Brynhildr..." Sophia sighed a bit, "It should no way be possible for Archaean blood to run through my veins. It's just not possible."

What surprised the woman was that the Deadlord patted her head, shaking her head a bit.

" **This is not such things as '** _not possible_ **'. Time and space know no bounds. Fates intertwine in the most unusual ways. There are most likely others like you who were either taken from their world. Some perhaps even chose to leave or were reincarnated. Why they were brought or born into such worlds, only fate has the answers that are never meant to be known.** " She removed her hand and began to walk.

Sophia followed as looked through the shelves of the books, searching for a few ones that would be useful to them.

" **For now, it is best to take what we can. Knowing you, you wish to take the entire library if you could.** " Sophia looked away, embarrassed.

_Step._

Instantly the two stooped, the fire turned off immediately. Aglas quickly diver into the shadows to investigate. Through a crack of a shelf, Sophia looked through and saw the figure of what seemed to be a young man. However, they wore some sort of black cloak. Floating around him was a strange magic tool that was the shape of a diamond. It was purple and around it, was a metallic circular wheel. The diamond spun in its center as it floated around him. Brynhildr went back into Sophia's shadow and the woman knelt to hide her presence.

" _Silent_ ," Sophia muttered as, in her eyes, the area around her turned gray.

She hid her presence. This spell was drilled into her by her instructor. She eventually found out that he wasn't supposed to teach her the spell because Validar wanted to know her movements and location. At some point, the instructor just smiled and said it was a secret between them. The man walked around a bit, the magic tool floating around him was flashing different colors as if searching for something.

"I have a feeling he's new." Sophia thought as she continued to observe.

 _Annnnnnnddd_ , she was about to have a heart attack because the man was heading her way. She held her breath as she watched him pass a few feet in front of her, through the path of the bookshelves. Her nerves were getting the best of her as she watched him going to the alley in front of her and looking through the books.

"Tch." They clicked their teeth and suddenly turned towards Sophia's direction.

Carefully, she stood up, careful not to make a sound, and began to slowly walk back. She watched as the man kept looking through the books, but the sound of him clicking his teeth, he was starting to get frustrated. Again, she kept walking, careful not to make a sound. Thankfully, she always carried a few rocks in her pocket. She threw one in the opposite direction she was going. The rock landed with a loud **THUNK** , making a few books drop about 3 shelves away. The man suddenly stopped and stayed still for a minute. She couldn't tell if he made a face but by the way, he swiftly turned to go see what happened, Sophia quickly made her escape with the books she decided to take.

**[-]**

"Who was that?" Sophia muttered as she was now out of the library, safe and sound.

She was walking up the stairs to enter the third floor of the castle, also, as much as she hated it, she was going to enter raid Aversa's room. The rooms on the top floor were mostly that of nobles as well as a few others. She found Tharja's room quickly because the woman had described to her how her door looks like. Carefully opening the door, she went inside. Sophia was taken back. She expected Tharja's room to be dark and brooding but surprisingly it was very normal. Safe for the table filled with tomes and other materials. Henry already packed up his belongings and Sophia was packing up Tharja's to give them back to her. She brought her suitcase where her belongings would usually be. However, all those books and materials and such are in her magic closet.

"Alright." Sophia sighs as she tied up her hair, "Let's pack up what we can."

The first thing she did was go into the closet to pack up the mage's clothing. Tharja didn't have much clothing. Most of them were the same uniform that dark mages wear along with the warlock dress and one of the priestesses. Next, were her books. Tharja had at least one bookshelf crammed with books. All of them about dark magic, curses, and a variety of things Sophia will not open. Still, she found the book about the ancient magic of Hoshido to be very interesting along with the book about Nohr's magic. The fact Tharja was studying magic used by _onmyoji_... honestly made Sophia feel a bit excited. Carefully, she stacked the books and tied them together to make sure none of them got damaged. Now, this is where Sophia was very nervous. Tharja has a shelf full of ingredients used for curses, potions, and a variety of things. She made sure to pack and every little thing with care because she did not want to risk accidentally causing something to explode. She was glad Tharja didn't have much as she left the room, pulling the suitcase, heading now towards Aversa's.

Stopping in front of the woman's door, Sophia took a deep breath as she pushed it open. She cringed at the smells of perfumes filling the space. Essences had long burned out, allowing the scent to linger in the place. The shelves looked like they were made of very expensive wood and the beds and curtains were made of the finest silks and fabrics. As well as some expensive things could be seen everywhere. From clothing to jewelry and makeup. Along with tomes and a few magic tools.

"Wow. I...feel dirt poor just being here. Damn rich people." Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose and then put on a mask because she can't stand the overwhelming scents of candles, soaps, and perfumes.

It felt like she walked into Bath and Bodyworks! Aversa had a desk filled with makeup, perfume, and a giant mirror as well as a closet filled with clothing made Sophia question the woman's fashion sense. Aversa had selves of books that unfortunately had dark magic seals to prevent people from stealing them. So, she will not even go near it. Unfortunately, that also meant that important documents she wanted to look at were sealed away. She began searching through the room, hoping to find something or some sort of clue of the ritual that was used to her and the other person to this world. They wanted her as a priestess, but Sophia thought there was more to it than just being some sort of sacrifice. At least an hour passed from searching Aversa's room, careful to put everything back in its space because she didn't want the woman to come to hunt her down.

"Nothing." Sophia sighed as she finished looking through the drawers.

She even went as far as looking behind the portraits and paintings. She grabbed the suitcase, the only she's taking from Aversa's room was the bag of gold coins she found stashed under the bed. She held her breath as she walked down the hallway to the one-room she didn't want to go but must. The door alone gave off an unsettling vibe as she took a deep breath and opened it. She peaked her head bit in to look inside the room. The inside of the room was painted with colors of purple, gold, and black. Shelves made of black wood along with the desk. A large table filled with tomes, materials for potions, and spells. The curtains were closed, only will-o-wisp that were trapped in glass jars lit up the place. Portraits of past Grimleal leaders lined the walls. Each one with an unsettling look in their eyes. It was as if the portraits were watching her every move. She looked around, seeing stacks of papers neatly piled on the desk. However, what caught her eye was a single large portrait that was next to Validar's. The former Grimleal leaders were just the man himself. Validar's piercing eyes looked as if they bore into her soul as she looked at it. She shivered and looked at the next portrait of two people. The frame was made of maple wood that showed no sign of aging despite how ancient it is. The painting itself looked fresh as if recently restored. The two individuals on it gave a strange feeling. The first one was a man. Gray-colored hair that was a bit spiky but was combed neatly. He wore a dark robe of a warlock, with colors of gold black, and purple.

Dark gold eyes that held some sort of warmth yet the smile the man wore was one people use when they are forced to smile for a picture. His hands were held another. Sitting on a chair, was a woman. She wore a dark green ball gown with gold and silver embroidery sewed into the shape of spider lies and roses. Her shoulders were exposed as she wore gold cuffs on her shoulders. They held the same-colored fabric that the dress was. However, that wasn't the most unsettling part. The area where the face of the woman would be _blank_. A blank face, even the hair was not there. Just a bald blank head. The closer Sophia looked, she felt nauseous. She noticed the wrist joints were sphere puppet joints. Yet, they held the man's right hand as if they were a real person.

"Who...is this?" Sophia covered her mouth, feeling like she wanted to vomit. She quickly went to the curtains and threw them open.

Allowing some form of light to properly illuminate the room. She coughed and looked back to the portrait. Her eyes traveled to the description of the painting.

_"For our great founder, he who created the darkness. The Void of never-ending swallows all. The Great Founder Forneus and his beloved, a gift from his followers. For she takes on the image he desires." - Portrait of the Mirror Puppet_

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Sophia whipped around the minute she heard another voice speak. She was supposed to be alone, but luck has other ideas. Brynhildr instantly materialized and stood in front of her as her violet eyes glared furiously at the mage that stood in front of the portrait. It had been a long time since Sophia had seen Validar but never once forgot his appearance. Dark-colored skin, crimson eyes that bore into anyone's soul. Robes of black and purple with gold jewelry and armor. Hair colored black and a long goatee. With his hands behind his back, he looked at the portrait as he stood in front of his desk. Aglas hissed loudly, readying itself to kill as well as Brynhildr. The mage only smiled as they turned to her.

"We finally meet, Lady Sophia. Without interruptions. Without the Ylisse worms in the way." Validar spoke in a calm voice as the woman looked back to him with a void face.

"Indeed..." She muttered as he turned a bit back to the portrait.

"This painting was commissioned 2,000 years ago by the founding father of Grimleal and the first to form a pact with our God. Forneus the Wise and The Creation formed a pact just how Naga did with the First Exalt." His eyes traveled to the blank-faced woman, "The one sitting next to him, is his precious wife. Alas," he turned to her with a small smirk, "Her name has been lost in time. The only thing that remains of her is that she is the Founding Mother of Anti-Magic."

"...What do you want?" Sophia hissed as her hands balled into fists, a thin crackle of lightning formed around them.

"Such thing I want does not come from you, but my daughter. You know very well why." His smile became vicious.

" **I can kill him. Just give me the order.** " Brynhildr snarled and the man chuckled.

"So this is the Deadlord born from the ritual. Unfortunately, she nothing but a hatchling compared to The Risen Queen and the others." He chuckled and Bryhildr lunged at him.

"Brynhildr!" Sophia yelled as she reached out her hand, but it was too late.

The Deadlord roared as she brought down her staff to strike him down, but the man only smiled as his hand gripped the staff tightly. Brynhildr gasped and quickly jumped back, the staff turning to dust, reappearing in her hand.

"Are you done?" The mage said in a bored tone and Sophia raised her hand.

Brynhildr wanted to protest but Sophia shook her head. The Deadlord had no choice but to step back but glared at the Grimleal mage.

"Much better." Validar chuckled as Sophia was silent but spoke.

"You got answers and I want them." Sophia said coldly, "What on earth did you do to drag me to this world? I have no relationship to it and it should be impossible for me to even exist here. The same with the other you brought here." She glared.

"Conditions are necessary but to our surprise, you fit those conditions perfectly. It took some time to prepare the ritual. Especially since we brought back _The Child Hunts_. Researching the ancient scrolls of Loptous took years till finally, we reached the conditions." He reached his hand out and pointed to her with a vicious smile, "Who would have thought that finding the perfect offering, would lead us to the knowledge of the Outrealm gates."

"Haha!" Sophia laughed, "What conditions would those be? I'm just a doctor who was born with a horrified mother. What value did I and the other have? We're just commoners." She hissed.

"Is that so?" His smile grew, _"Then why are your hands stained with the blood of a sinner?"_

"What?" Sophia scoffed, "Of course my hands are stained with the blood of sinners. I took lives to survive in this world."

She narrowed her eyes as they laughed.

"You truly don't understand what I am saying do you?" The mage laughed and pointed to her hands, "Those hands were stained with blood long before you became a doctor. Isn't that correct..." he looked up to her, " _Stained with the blood of your mother who you nearly killed out of self-defense._ "

The grin Sophia had was wiped off in an instant as her eyes went wide as the mage smirked. He took a step towards her, his eyes boring into her soul as he continued to speak.

" _A young girl, no older than 16 years, fought for her life and siblings against the woman who birth to you. She was such and a fit of rage that she chose to lash out at you._ " Another step towards her, " _She was on the verge of severally wounding your brother, you lunged at her, wrestled her, but the result was near massacre._ " He chuckled, " _You took the knife from her hands and all hatred you had towards her took over you. You did not hesitate in stabbing her in her shoulders. Too bad you couldn't finish the job. She ran._ " He stopped in front of her.

Before Brynhildr could react, she was thrown back and Aglas has well. Sophia didn't even have a chance to make a move before she was held by her neck and suspended. She gasped and clawed at his hand desperately. The man only applied a bit of pressure, not enough to cut off all the air but enough to keep her gasping. He chuckled as he looked up to her.

"You should be honored for such a privilege. No matter what you do... _ **Fate...**_ " he brought her down and directly looked into her eyes, " _ **can not be resisted.**_ "

In a tornado of black flames, he disappeared as she dropped to the ground, gasping for air. She coughed and gasped as she rubbed her neck a bit. The spell on Aglas and Brynhildr was released, the two running to her.

" _ **Are you injured?!**_ " The dead lord frantically held her face and was moving it a bit around to check for injuries on her neck.

"Like a doting mother..." Sophia thought as Brynhildr used to heal on her neck. "I was not expecting him to be here." She sighs a bit as she was helped to stand up.

" **I thought he was supposed to be dead,** " Brynhildr muttered and the woman shook her head.

"He's alive. He was just in hiding. I don't know why he chose to reveal himself to me but I still have a bad feeling about it." She sighed she looked back to the portrait, "So that is Forneus..."

She walked up to the portrait and pulled on the portrait's frame. She lifted it a bit and her suspicions were right, there was something behind it. It was a bit stuck on the picture, but she managed to pull it out. It was a letter with a wax seal but the symbol on it was a robin.

"The mage that left 21 years ago...that could do magic without a tome...she was Validar's wife. And the mother of Robin." Sophia sighed a bit as she put the letter in her bag and looked around the room again.

Honestly, part of her was hoping to find Grimleal's Truth since she already knows of Grima's true origins. However, what she did not know and what was revealed to her today was new.

"I wouldn't even consider believing what that man said about the founder of Grimleal and his wife," Brynhildr muttered as they found only one thing that was useful to them.

A book about the Risen and how to create them. While Sophia does know necromancy because it was drilled into her, she refuses to use it.

"Let's go."

**[-]**

Hours passed and it was night already. Sophia, Henry, Morgan, and Frederick had everything packed and were ready to set off. Morgan would be riding with Henry because of the plan they have set up.

"Are you going to tell them?" Brynhildr muttered in her mind as Sophia mounted Petra.

She wore the armor of a dark flier and her chakrams on her sides.

"No. Especially not now. One year. One year." Sophia thought and Brynhildr nodded.

"How long will it take us to reach the battlefield?" Frederick asked as he climbed his horse, who she learned is named Bucky.

"Two weeks. But by the time we arrive, the battle will be long over. Right now, based on how much time has passed, the Ylisse/Ferox Army will clash with Gangrel's in two days." Sophia said as she turned to him, "The most I can do is warp us near the place. We'll be two days away just like the army. However, I'm going to say this now." Her face was serious, "The minute we arrive at the war, it will most likely the battle began. We will split. We go our separate ways from there."

"I understand." Frederick nodded, "I will search for Chrom and the others. Henry and Morgan will go our allies. But..." he looked at her concerned, "what about you?"

"...I have my role, you have yours." She sighed and turned to look at Henry and Morgan, "Be careful out there."

"We will." The two mages grinned, and she turned to Frederick.

"Be safe out there." She smiled a bit softly to him and the man nodded, giving her his own soft smile.

She raised her arms to the sky, the Realm Stone glowed brightly on her chest as the magic circle appeared underneath them. The wyverns and horses were a bit spooked, but they were calmed.

"Everyone ready?" Sophia yelled and they all gave a firm nod.

With a flick of her wrist, the magic circle glowed brightly and warped them away.

**[-]**

It was the next morning after they rode all night. Taking breaks between time to feed their units as well as eat themselves but what was unsettling was how empty the area was. Villages they passed were empty, they would usually be filled with people. But considering the war was so close, people had to abandon their homes. The village they stopped in was empty, a ghost town. Stalls that had fruits and vegetables were becoming spoil because of the constant change of temperature of the environment. Homes were empty, almost all things of no value were left. Only old wooden chairs and furniture were left.

"Sigh..." Sophia sighed as she looked around the village.

Mirages of children running happily around. Villagers chatting and walking around the place. Merchants and vendors selling their items to make coin. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see it was Frederick. The man looked at the village in silence.

"Can you tell me what the village was like?" He muttered and she knew he was trying to cheer her up a bit.

"Well..." she pointed to the stalls that had spoiled fruit, "during this time of year it is the New Year. I learned that in Plegia, New Year's are celebrated for a few weeks. The stalls would have different merchandise from different places." She then pointed to the hill not too far from the village, "The villagers would pack food and drinks for friends and family. They would head to the hill with a blanket, setting it on the grass to sit down. Together, they watch the rise. It symbolizes new dawn, a brand-new year but also a new beginning." She turned to Henry, who was smiling.

"Did I get that right?" She asked and he gave her two thumbs up.

"Yup! But you forgot one thing." He quickly pointed to the two, "Couples kiss when the new dawn arises!"

Sophia just raised an eyebrow along with Frederick, but she then looked to the horizon...

_The sun was rising._

_Meaning new dawn._

_They were near the hills and had just eaten some fruit._

_And her and Fred-!_

"YOU'RE JUST MAKING THAT UP!" Sophia screeched once she realized why he was pointing at them.

"I do not understand." Frederick looked at the two confused, "Sophia, why are you red?"

"N-Nothing! N-Nothing! Henry is just messing with us!" Sophia stuttered and quickly went ahead.

The knight was confused and shook his head as he followed her.

"Henry..." Morgan pouted, "Well, you tried." He shrugged.

"But the result was worth it!"

**[-]**

Riding through the desert fields after so long brought back feelings of when she first arrived. As much as she wished to reminisce about the old days, it wasn't an option. They have been going non-stop and the sight that met them wasn't pretty.

"Whoa!" Frederick pulled Bucky's reins as did the other two for their wyverns.

On top of the rocky hill, they were, and they could see the battlefield below. Soldiers of Plegai that chose to remain loyal to Gangrel fought against the Ylisse and Ferox ones. Bodies of those that fallen were all over the place. Fire and smoke all around. Explosions caused by mages in battle, bodies flying and dropping from the skies are wyvern, griffon, and Pegasus riders clashed. The final for and castle far the end, where Gangrel stands. The Mad King was clearly frustrated as he roared out orders to his generals. Derrick and Arca were locked in a vicious battle in the sky with their wyverns. Lon'qu, Felix, and Lysithea fought side by side, watching each other's backs as they fought the Berserkers. Lissa fought besides Donnel, one with an ax and the other with a lance. The Shepherds all fighting along with the Khans. She spotted Olivia and...

"Henry and Morgan! Go help the pink-haired dancer now! She's surrounded!"

"HYA!" Henry instantly pulled the reins of Asha ( _Sophia: Fuck it! His name is Ashe from now on!_ ), and off he went to help Olivia.

"This is where we part." Sophia turned to Frederick, "Live."

"You as well!" He yelled and both let out their war cries as they charged to the field.

The skies were Sophia's territory, and the land was Frederick's. With chakrams drawn out, Petra rocketed through the sky as Sophia cut down Plegain wyvern riders. The bodies dropping, she never once hurt the wyverns.

"Rah!" A wyvern rider charged at her with their lance and she quickly pulled the reins, allowing Petra to spill like a drill at them.

Blood splattered on her face as the blade of her chakram slashed through the chest of the wyvern rider, their body falling off and the wyvern flying away. The pattern repeats as she twists and turns through the sky like a dancer. Her movements were graceful as she flew through the sky.

**[-]**

Henry had a cheeky grin as the pink-haired dancer turned crimson because he had literally swooped down and plucked her from the ground to safety. Followed by an explosion behind them because Morgan dropped magic bombs at them made the scene more exciting.

"W-Wha? W-Who are you?!" Olivia screeched as Ashe dodge down, allowing Morgan to jump onto Plegain Wyvern rider and push them off.

"I'm the scary mage here to set fire to Gangrel and his soldiers! Nyhahaha!" Henry cackled and unfortunately for him, Olivia looked like a shivering mouse cornered by a cat.

"W-Wait..." Henry quickly said, "But in all seriousness, my friend and I are allies. We've come to aid Ferox and Ylisse." He pointed towards a different part of the field.

Sully, Stahl, and Vaike and their battalions broke into louder cheers when Frederick bulldozed through like a monster. The Ylisse and Ferox roared even louder as his horse stood on its two hind legs, neighing proudly as he held up the Emperor's Lance high in the air.

"Shepherds charge forward! Take control of the central and northern-west forts!" Frederick roared and war cries were unleashed all over the field.

**[-]**

"Frederick...He's alive! Haha!" Chrom yelled as he couldn't believe his eyes.

Robin coughed but grinned as she cast a heal on the prince. Chrom couldn't help but grin and the knight sent him a nod as he charged to the forts.

"Let's go Chrom!" Robin yelled as she wields her Leviathan sword and Chrom the Falchion.

High at one of the hills, Alm and Lucina watched as the battle went on.

"So, this is the war of Ylisse and Plegia...It's...a lot more horrifying seeing it in person." Alm gulped as he looked all over the place.

"As much as I wish we could help, we cannot. We need—Gasp!" Lucina's eyes went wide when she saw the stark blue on the battlefield.

With his time in hand, Morgan roared as he cast magic from on top of the wyvern he snatched. Henry close by with Olivia using her chakrams like boomerangs to cut their enemies down. A feeling of relief filled the princess seeing her brother was alive, but she was NOT happy to see him fighting in a war!

"Alm, cover me!" Lucina yelled and he nodded.

**[-]**

_10 minutes._

_20 minutes._

With each minute the battle was becoming bloodier. More and more bodies piled up as she continued forward but most of all, the number of bodies piled up. The Shepherds were breaking through and at least two more forts they have taken control of. As for her, Sophia was covered from head to toe in the blood of her enemies and has managed to tend to those that were heavily injured. But for now, she was following after Chrom and Robin. She wants to be the one to take down Gangrel unfortunately that is not her role. She spotted a Ylisse Pegasus Knight unit being led by an elite knight but the Pegasus they were riding is...

"Ingrid."

Placing two fingers on her lips, Sophia whistled loudly. A specific whistle that was taught to her by her grandparents. The pegasus began neighing loudly, suddenly trashing around because it recognized the whistle. The knight screams and holds tight onto the reins but unfortunately, Ingrid was stronger and suddenly raised her knees high in the air. She sped off like a rocket towards the sky and the poor knight was desperately trying to rein control. Sophia was not expecting Ingrid to go on a rampage the second they reunited. Right now, her priority was saving that pegasus knight.

"Petra!" Sophia screamed as the wyvern roared and zoomed towards the pegasus knight.

Ingrid was thrashing around, trying to get them off and at the rate, it was going, the knight was going to end up seriously injured.

Out nowhere, Ingrid bolted higher with far too much force. The reins broke and the knight was sent flying off. The female screamed as she fell and thankfully Sophia was quicker because Ingrid also dove down at that moment. She managed to get close enough to jump off and land onto the pegasus and Petra had zoomed down and caught the knight in her saddle. The woman was shaking because she never had such an experience before and ripped off her helmet. She panted and turned to Sophia who was still wrestling for control.

"Ingrid come on! *WHISTLE*" Sophis yelled and did the whistle louder.

Finally, she got the reins under control as she gave a hard pull and Ingrid finally calmed down. The pegasus let out huffs but happy whines to see her again.

"I missed you too." She whispered as she petted their head and turned to look at Petra.

However, seeing who the pegasus knight was, made her blood run cold. Crimson colored hair that flowed beautifully in the wind like flames. Crimson colored eyes that reminded her of rubies. The pegasus knight wore a red custom armor with wing-like pins on her hair. Yet, the woman was gasping for her as she turned to her, shocked.

"Can you still fly?!" Sophia blurted out quickly as she made Ingrid fly a bit closer.

"Y-Yes." Cordelia could barely say, and Sophia put Petra's reins in her hands, "Wha?"

"Flying a wyvern is exactly like flying a pegasus! The only difference is that wyverns are more flexible!" She turned to look a Petra, "Petra is the fastest wyvern in Plegia and will be at your command!"

"Wait what?! Who are you?! You can't just suddenly take my pegasus!" Cordelia looked at her shocked and Sophia glared.

"That doesn't matter right now! I'm an ally and I need to get to Robin and the others!" Sophia yelled and suddenly heard another explosion.

It was coming from the 5th fort. She slammed the reins on Cordelia's hands and looked her in the eye.

"Go! Petra! _Ve!_ _Ayúdala y escucha sus órdenes_ _!_ " Sophia ordered and the wyvern let out a roar of confirmation.

Cordelia was hesitant but nodded, taking the reins quickly and pulled them.

"Hyaaa!" The knight roared and charged in the direction of the 5th fort.

She made a motion with her hand and her squad quickly followed behind her, holding up their lances and bows as they let out their war cries. Sophia sighed and glared at Ingrid.

"I don't know why but I feel like _someone_ in a different land is giving a murderous glare for nearly accidentally killing the woman." The pegasus just huffed and gave her a small nudge, "Let's go. We need to catch up." And she snapped the reins.

Ingrid took off flying towards the direction of the final fort, where Gangrel stood. His most loyal were being cut down one by one and she could see not too far, Arca getting her assed kicked.

"Derrick really is angry at her." She muttered when he suddenly turned to a dragon, roaring at the girl.

She was getting closer to the area; she could see bodies all over the place. Algas's voice suddenly popped in her mind as she was flying closer.

"There they are!" Aglas yells in her mind as they finally spotted Robin and Chrom fighting Gangrel.

"Gods, that battle looks brutal." Sophia bit her lip as she felt the shockwaves of Falchion clashing with the Leviathan Sword Gangrel wields. Robin unleashing Thorn made her look like a lightning queen. The battle was vicious. She could hear them shouting.

"Come, princeling! I've sharpened my sword just for you!" Gangrel laughed madly as his Leviathan sword crackled.

"My sister wished for our people to know peace, Gangrel. As long as you breathe, it can never come." Chrom raised his sword, "FOR YLISSE!"

"FOR YLISSE!" Robin roared and the three lunged.

Sophia nodded and about to turn but...

"Look out!"

Just barely the woman manages to create a barrier around Ingrid and herself to deflect the Fire attack that was aimed at them. The wind seemed to blow stronger as she heard wings flapping. The heavy scent of perfume filled her nostrils, and she knew who this was. Sophia's grin became wicked when she saw the one responsible glaring at her with murderous intent as she looked up.

"Hello, Aversa."

The Dark Flier didn't speak as she simply raised her hands that crackled with black flames, ready to finish her off. Her white hair flowed in the wind making her look like a spirit come to strike her down. But Sophia had no intention of dying on this field.

"How dare you show your face here you a traitor?" Aversa snarled as Sophia raised her own hands.

" _To finish the job._ " With a snap of her fingers, Sophia's hands crackle with black lightning, the green in her eyes turning crimson.

_It was time, to finish the job._

The two launched at each other, their tomes glowing brightly in front of them as they unleashed spell after spell. Flames clashed with lightning creating explosions. Ice and wind clashed and create hail. Light and darkness clashed as opposites creating rippling effects. It was a bloody field. Spell after spell unleashed. Sophia held on tightly onto Ingrid's reins as the pegasus dashed through the sky. Aversa fired multiple shots at her and Sophia pulled out one of her chakrams to fight. Her clothing was already nearly burned off because she had been hit by a few fire spells. Aversa was in a similar state as her but...

"What the..."

Black magic began to gather above Aversa in the shape of a sphere.

"Arrgh...Kuh!" Aversa gritted her teeth as she focused her energy to kill the woman.

Anger and resentment, she gathered all the negative emotions in the battlefield into one. Her tome glowed a brilliant purple as the magic circled her.

"Suffer." That was all Aversa said as she held her arms up.

Sophia could barely comprehend the size of the spell. It felt like she was looking at a combination of Meteor and Miasma Δ. But the size of it would kill everyone around her. If the attack landed, the damage it would cause would be catastrophic. Even the Pelgain soldiers were becoming terrified. From down the battlefield, Frederick's eyes went wide in horror as he saw the size of it. The Shepherds that were on the battlefield couldn't believe it.

"ALL OF YOU DIE!" Aversa roared and swung her arms down.

"No one is going to make it at this rate," Sophia muttered and gave a quick look to the others below.

She placed an extra barrier spell on Ingrid and looked back to the field. Her eyes landed on Frederick, who looked at her shocked, shaking his head a bit once he realized what she was about to do.

"Goodbye." She muttered with a soft smile and turned to look back to the giant Miasma Δ.

"INGRID!" She yelled and pulled the reins hard.

The pegasus neighed loudly as it understood her master's orders and charged at it.

Sophia raised her hands up and then clapped her hands together. Magic symbols began to swirl all around her as a magic circle formed behind her. She then made her right-hand face down and began muttering a spell.

_"Elements of Arcadia."_

_"Let the Hymn play."_

_"Let the brand of light and darkness fade away."_

"It took me a while, but I finally figured it out. Why my body reacted the way it did to the earth veins...no, _Dragon Veins_." Sophia thought as she kept muttering the spells.

She was glad she researched the History of Hoshido and Nohr as well as the magic they used. She felt the familiar sting in her veins as they became visible all over her body. The more she chanted the barrier was becoming bigger and bigger. She was pushing it. She kept muttering spell after spell, her blood felt like it was boiling yet she didn't stop.

" **Enough! You're pushing it too much!** " Brynhildr yelled in her mind but Sophia gritted her teeth.

"I don't care! I'm not letting the people I care about die!" Sophia roared as she charged forward.

The Miasma clashed with the barriers she created, and she could hear cracking. She knew the barriers weren't perfect, but this was a delay as she was trying to activate the Dragon Vein. She's in the sky yet she should be directly touching the ground but right now, she needs to activate it.

_CRACK!_

Another layer broke and at the rate, it was going, they weren't going to make it. She forcibly opened the Book of Naga, pain, unlike anything she ever felt, far worse than the torture she endured for 7 days and nights. It surged through her body as she screamed, her hands felt like they were burning as she was doing in her power to push back the Miasma. Brynhildr was screaming and helping her as much as she could but her body was burning up. The Dragon Vein on the ground activated and glowed brightly all over the battlefield. She gritted her teeth, she felt she was going to faint, but she thought about those she met. Henry, Tharja, Lysithea, Morgan, Mustafa, Ahura, Dana, Derrik, Felix, Anna, Lucina, Alm, Frederick, everyone. They mean more to her. She roared as she kept pushing back, the lamp in her body now glowing brightly with the Book of Naga. The Dragon Vein unleashing its power all over the battlefield. Her clothing was burning away, her skin cracking like glass.

"I can't...pass out...not..now!" She growled and she was starting to see spots but...

_"Let me help."_

It was like a miracle had happened before her. A gentle hand played itself on her shoulder as she saw next to her the faint outline of a woman. Olive green colored hair and eyes, pointy ears. The woman smiled softly at her yet tears fell from Sophia's eyes when she realized who it was.

"You're..." Sophia sobbed and Tiki smiled softly.

"It's alright. Now let's finish this."

With one final war cry, Sophia screamed as power surged through her body and to her hands. The giant miasma began cracking more and more.

_"RRRAAAHHHHH!"_

**CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!**

The sound of shattering glass filled the entire land as the blinding light took over. The land sang its song as the Marisa shattered like glass. The light faded away slowly. Those below carefully opening their eyes. Many gasped when they saw the once desert battlefield was blooming trees and life. Grass fields as far as the eye could see. Trees far and wide, flowers all over. Frederick looked up to the sky and spotted Ingrid still flying as the light faded yet...

Her right hand was out as the shadow covered her eyes. Her clothing was burned, her skin cracked like glass. Her skin burned as she did not move one inch. Aversa roared furiously because she looked just as horrible as her. Sophia panted as she watched Aversa fly up into the sky.

**Blood.**

She was covered from head to toe in blood. Her veins burned as if they were in a fire as the noise around her faded away. The only thing she could hear was her own panting as she raised her right hand. It burned. Everything in her body screamed for her to stop. But she did not care. Not when a bloody battlefield was right underneath her. She could feel eyes on her, yet she could barely make out that Chrom was soon going to land the final blow on Gangrel. She panted.

_The scent of smoke burned her lungs._

_The scent of iron contaminated her mouth._

_The screams are filled with rage towards one another yet in a way, they are justified._

The final battle has come. She could see Chrom and Robin about to take Gangrel down as she gritted her teeth. Aversa was in no better shape than she. Body bloodied, bruised, cut, and burned from magical attacks and their blades clashing. This was her final battle. This was a battle she must win. The black tome floated in front of her as Aversa did the same with Shade. Their right hands raised, one crackling with black lighting while the other with silver. They were desperate. A battle that must be won. Everything riding on this victory, she must. Sophia's lungs burn as she let out her war cry, pulling Ingrid's reins, the Dark Flier lunged to the other. It must be won. She cannot lose. At the same time, Aversa did the same. She let out a scream of fury, unlike anything she had ever done. The two, ready to fight till death.

_For this is the final dance in the skies._

Their hands clashed viciously, each gritting their teeth as they desperately tried to overpower the other. Black and silver clashed furiously. Magic building up, ready to take down the enemy.

"I'm starting to fade!" Sophia thought she felt she was starting to her overwhelmed by Aversa.

The silver-haired witch grinning viciously, read to overcome her.

"I can't lose! I can't!" Sophia roared and the lamp in her heart responded.

Her magic glowed brightly as it spread like veins all over her right arm. Her right eye began throbbing and suddenly it was bleeding. Aversa roared but Sophia would not let her win.

"I finally have a home. A place where I belong! I will not let you destroy it!" Sophia roared and finally, overpowered Aversa. The witch's veins began to glow all over her left arm that she was using to channel magic. Her left eye began bleeding as the veins spread all over the left side of her face. Visions began to flash before her eyes her resolves waver. It was enough.

_"Mama! Papa!"_

_A little girl being held by two adults. She felt warm and safe. Suddenly the science changed to all those around her killed. She screaming to be let go by a man. The man laughed as she kept running and running. Anytime she met someone new and she grew to care for them, they were killed. That man kept appearing and laughing._

_"No matter where you run Aversa, I will always find you."_

"AAAHHHHHH!" Aversa screamed and their magic exploded.

The blinding light took over once more and faded quickly. A sizzling sound was heard as many looked up. At the same moment, Chrom dealt the final blow, beheading King Gangrel. Sophia was silent, just barely conscious, and looked at the witch. Aversa's eyes were wide, blood pouring from her left eye, her skin burned, her eyes white and wide as smoke came from her. Her hand dropped and she fell from her Pegasus, down to the ground. Sophia was in the same state and she just barely registered that someone caught Aversa mid-air and warped away. Victorious roars filled the land. Masses of Plegain soldiers that had chosen to fight to surrender quickly. The roars became louder as Chrom held the Falchion high in the air, Robin, supporting him as best as she could.

_Bubump._

"Is...it...over...?" Sophia's voice was barely a whisper as well as Brynhildr's, who answered.

" **Yes...it is.** " The DeadLord muttered and Sophia smiled softly as her eyes moved up to look at the sky.

"I see...I'm...so...glad..." she closed her eyes, letting the darkness take its toll.

**[—]**

For the woman, the war was over as she uttered her final sentence. Her hand fell heavily, and she slid off the saddle of her Pegasus and began falling from the sky. Screams could be heard once those that were looking realized she was falling. Ingrid neighed loudly but unfortunately was not fast enough to catch her because she too was weak.

"HYA!" Frederick snapped the reins of his stallion quickly and charged towards her.

Up to one of the forts, the steed ran and then jumped. Frederick quickly caught her in his arms, holding onto her tightly as his free hand-pulled onto the reins and his steed landed safely. Ingrid swooped down and neighing loudly, but Cordelia was close by along with Lon'qu. The crimson-haired woman jumped off Petra and quickly managed to calm down the pegasus. The two gave the knight a nod, yet all Frederick could look at the woman in his arms in horror. Her skin was cracked like glass, the cracks glowing a bit. Part of her clothing was burned off as well as some of her skin was burned and cut. She was bleeding from her right eye and saw the cracks had formed on the right side of her face. She was covered from head to toe in blood.

"Oh gods...No..." the knight could barely choke out and her eyes flutter open just a bit.

They were glassy, dazed, and she only moved her eyes towards him.

"I'm..." her voice was just barely a whisper as she weakly raised her hand, it touched his cheek as she smiled softly, "I'm...so...glad...you're...safe.." those were her last words as her injuries took ahold of her, her hand slumped.

"HEALER! I HEALER!"

He yelled as had his steed run and thankfully one was nearby.

"I'M HERE!" He turned and saw Lissa bolting his way with Donnel just right behind her, "Frederick, you're alive!" She yelled but gasped in horror when she saw the woman in his arms.

"Please...help her." The man could barely say, and the woman nodded firmly as she began treating her wounds.

_No wars are won without a price._

**[—]**

_**And with that, the Plegia Arc is over! Thank you all so much for reading and hope you all look forward to the next upcoming chapters. If you want to see previews and talk to more authors or want writing advice, come join the Fanfiction TreeHouse Discord!** _

_**Discord. gg/9XG3U7a** _


	19. Healers Need to Heal

"Good Gods...This is just...Miriel! Please bring the Blessed Water!"

In the medical tent, it was filled with soldiers and mages that needed to be healed as well as their generals. Blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail as the man wore a white coat to try and protect himself from the number of blood patients were spilling. Libra channeled white magic into his right hand as the body in front of him was lifted a bit from the chest. The woman, who he learned is named Sophia, was in such a state he didn't even know if she was going to make it.

"Miriel asked how many!" He heard Lysithea yell from the next-door tent as she was busy operating on those that had severe wounds. She was using the medical skills that were passed onto her.

"AS MANY AS SHE CAN HOLD!" Libra roared because the extraction of corruption was the key to the woman surviving.

Gods, she looked like a porcelain doll on the verge of shattering at any second. Lissa was pouring as much of her white magic to strengthen the extraction but it was becoming clear no matter how much they used, something was negating it. Miriel scurried over as fast as she could, ripping off the corks from the bottles of the Blessed War. She began pouring them on top of Libra's hands, watching as finally, some sort of response was happening. A wisp of black smoke was slowly coming out of Sophia's body but...

"Ah...Ah... ** _AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"_**

A piercing scream suddenly ripped from her throat that nearly made everyone stop but they kept going. Lissa, unfortunately, stumbled back, knocking over Sophia's bag onto the floor. The black tome fell out along with the Book of Naga. The girl panicked and picked them up, placing them on the table. However, the Book of Naga reacted in her hands.

"Eh?" Lissa could barely comprehend what just happened as the tome glowed brightly in her hands.

The tomes light poured out like water, engulfing the entire camp. Yet, the light did not burn. Carefully, Lissa opened her eyes and blinked multiple times. Soldiers that were gravely injured sat up and saw their injuries healed. Soon, the entire camp was filled with cheers of soldiers and people alike. Those that were near death were hugged tightly but their friends and comrades. Running footsteps could be heard and suddenly the tent flap went flying.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Chrom burst in along with Robin, unfortunately for the couple, their faces were flushed red.

_Oh my~_

"Chrom, why is your face red?" Lissa narrowed her eyes at her brother and then to Robin, who quickly fixed the side of her coat.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He said a bit too quickly and Lissa just gave them a knowing look, "Anyhow, are you all alright? That light just engulfed everyone."

"I found it odd because all the injuries we had are healed." Robin spoke after fixing her coat, "However, those that were injured by magic weren't completely healed, unfortunately."

"We're alright my lord." Libra assured them, "However...." he looked back to Sophia.

The last of the black mist left her body however, the scars were now pink and a bit fresh, bleeding a bit.

"Lissa and Miriel, I leave you two to finish patching her," Libra said and the two women nodded, closing the curtains.

Lissa sighed as she placed the tome down on the table and helped Miriel remove the woman's clothes. However, the sight made the princess cover her mouth in horror. Her entire body was covered in scars that looked like cracked glass. Only the left side of her face did not have any. But what caught Lissa's attention was the strange marking on the center of the woman's chest, just above her heart.

"Hey, Miriel...does this marking look strange?" Lissa carefully pointed to it.

"It does..." the mage muttered, "It looks similar to the Brand of Naga."

"How strange..." Lissa sighed, "Let's patch her up."

"After we're all done, we're going to have to contact Martha." Lissa cringed immediately at the mention of that name.

"Do we have to?" Lissa whined and Miriel gave her a look.

"Yes, we do."

"Can't we just let Frederick contact her?"

"You know very well he avoids her too."

**[-------]**

"Glad to see you again kiddo!"

"UNCLE DERRICK AND AUNT THARJA!"

Morgan ran into Derrick's arms and the man spun him and Tharja smiled a bit as the man put the boy down. Henry chuckled as he walked into the tent, his arms spread out.

"Aren't I going to get a hug?" And Morgan gave him a blank face.

"No."

"How cruel! Nyahaha!"

The mage laughed as the other three rolled their eyes but smiled.

"But in all seriousness," Tharja muttered, "it is good to have both back."

"Same." Derrick nodded, "But why did you suddenly call me and Tharja, Uncle and Aunt?"

"Habit." The boy grinned and they nodded.

"Glad to hear that." Henry chuckled, "But...I need to speak to you, Derrick. It's serious."

The atmosphere became tense and the man nodded. His way of saying he did not mind it being spoken with others around. Henry nodded and spoke.

"It's about General Heriot." Derrick frowned, "I understand if you don't want to know anything about him but I seriously think you should know this." Henry looked at him seriously.

"Just spit it out." Derrick glared.

"I did not see him on the battlefield...at all." Henry muttered, "Not single one. I know he was one of Gangrel's top generals but the fact he wasn't present at all is disturbing. If he had deserted, we would have seen him at the capital with Mustafa, but we didn't." Derrick was silent, "What are your thoughts?"

"I don't know..." Derrick muttered, "I honestly do not know what to feel. He raised me when I was 15 in human years. By human years, I'm 22 years old. He raised me...He still is like a father to me...I just..." he ran his fingers through his hair, licking his lips a bit, "I don't know. If he was among the dead, I would have caught his scent immediately."

"So there is a chance he is alive." Tharja muttered as she chewed on her nail, "Aversa is also alive. When she fell, I saw someone catch her and then warp away. I don't know who it was. And what about Arca?"

"The last I saw her, she has blasted away." Morgan said, "Gangrel is dead also since Prince Chrom lapped off that sick head of his like _Skkkttt_!" He made a slice motion across his neck.

"Morgan, Henry's personality is rubbing off on you." Tharja frowned.

"Nyahahaha! Good job boy! Ready to commit heresy?!" Henry laughed and a few of the nearby soldiers looked at them horrified.

"Uncle...please not now."

**[------]**

In the prince's ( _now future exalt_ ) tent, a happy reunion was going on. Chrom could not help but hug his friend tightly, seeing he was alive.

"I'm beyond happy to you alive my friend!" Chrom sniffed and the two sat down, "I just can't believe it...How? I thought...I thought you were crushed under rubble."

"I thought the same. But...." he won't admit it but when his eyes first landed on Sophia when she saved him, he thought Naga had come to welcome his soul to the heavens.

The reason he thought that was because of the mint colored hair and eyes she had, which he later learned was a spell to change her appearance.

"But Lady Sophia found me in the rubble. To be honest, when I met her on the battlefield, I thought she was an enemy." Frederick sighed, "I nearly killed her."

Chrom sighed and shook his head, he empathized with him. He nearly killed Derrick if the man hadn't revealed himself to be manakete aiding them.

"It's alright. I had a similar experience. Sigh..." Chrom smiled softly, "I'm glad you are alive. I didn't know what to do. After Emmeryn fell and then...The Risen Queen going berserker...you being crushed." He took a deep breath.

"My Lord, it is alright." Frederick chuckled but he nodded, "I'm glad that you are well."

"Onto another serious topic, did you learn anything while you were being healed?" Chrom said and Frederick knew what he meant.

"I did. And while some answers you may not like, others have only brought more questions." Frederick looked at him seriously.

"The first thing I learned is that Sophia is indeed the Shadow Exalt as well as the Saint of Archanea. While she did many actions to help Plegai become a nation of life," he motions how the area around them should be dessert but no longer is, "it does not mean she was involved in politics or scandals." Frederick and Chrom nodded.

"She was a political prisoner." Chrom muttered, "I was suspicious of it for a while. There were rumors that no one had ever seen her face. And when she would come out in public, she wore a veil to hide her face and was always surrounded by guards. She was kept isolated."

"Yes." Frederick nodded, "I will be honest with you my lord. We did not get along at first. When I woke up from the coma I thought for a while I was being held, prisoner. Once I recognized who saved me, I tried to assassinate them. Ha." Frederick chuckled bitterly, "In the end, she still managed to overpower me."

"Sophia and I made a deal." Chrom stiffened, "Three conditions I needed to follow to answer the questions I had. One, to not try and kill her in her sleep." The prince snorted and got a glare from the knight, "Two, I needed to rest to heal. The unknown methods of healing saved my life but I still needed to rest to recover. Unfortunately, as you see, my left eye could not be saved." Chrom nodded sadly.

"...what is the third condition?" Chrom whispered and Frederick sighed, shaking his head a bit.

Now looking back at it, now he understood why she placed those conditions on him.

"To listen to her instructions." Frederick muttered, "I was severely wounded and she cursed me out for wanting to start immediately my training regiment. I was immobile for at least a week or two I believe till I could finally move my hands. It took some time but she and the others helped me recover." He nodded.

"But what I learned...she was brought to Archanea, against her will," Frederick said and Chrom blinks multiple times.

"What? Against her will?" The prince gawked and Frederick nodded.

"The Grimleal used some sort of ritual that ripped her away from her homeland but also someone else," Frederick explained.

"So, that means there is someone else out there like her...Sigh...if they were taken away from their homeland, then I guess that they have no means of return." Chrom bit his lip as the knight nodded.

"Yes. I confirmed it with her. Sophia expressed that she can't return to her homeland. During my time with her, many of the assumptions I made were knocked down as well as learning a few things about her. But...what stuck out the most to me is how the people of Plegia view her." Frederick smiled a bit as his memories from speaking to the citizens Plegia returned.

"The people do not know she is the one that saved them. They do not know she is The Shadow Exalt." Chrom looked at him shocked as he continued, "She knows that they do not know she is the Shadow Exalt except a selected few. And....these are her words, not mine."

_"As long as the people are okay and doing well, I rather remain in the shadows than be known far in wide. I shall remain the Shadow Exalt, the one that watches over the people of Archanea from the shadows. My identity, let it remain unknown."_

Chrom looked at him shocked and could not help but smile softly.

"She's similar to Emmeryn." Chrom chuckled sadly as memories of his sister came back, "I wonder if they met."

"They did." Frederick said and the prince looked back to him, "I learned that the two would discuss politics and ways to help each other's countries. I think if you ask Tharja and Derrick, they will tell you." And Chrom nodded.

"Thank you, Frederick. While I'm not exactly happy learning what lengths the Grimleal have gone to achieve their goals, I am glad not just our people, but also those of Plegia and Ferox can finally have peace. Sophia, I can't help but wonder what she feels after everything that has happened..." Chrom muttered and let go of a sigh.

He looked at his friend and smiled softly.

"Guess we'll find out once she is well.

**(----)**

****

**_[ Dream ]_ **

_Cold._

_The world felt cold around her. A familiar coldness she felt when she first arrived in this world. A coldness that wrapped around her like ice, like chains that pulled her further and further down into the abyss. They wrapped around her body like water, it pulled her down yet no matter how much the darkness pulled, her will did not allow her to be consumed by it. The darkness snarled but laughed as her eyes were still closed._

**_"Hahahaha!"_ **

_The darkness laughed as she moved her head around. She could hear the voice whispering to her, calling to her yet she refuses to listen. It smiled at her as it gently caressed her cheek. A human-like hand gently pressed its thumb on her lips. Sophia felt disgusted as it touched her, crimson eyes looked at her face as the darkness began to take shape._

_" **I am the breath of ruin. I am the wings of despair. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy...** " pearly white teeth and fangs glinted as the human shape began to take form, " **pride. I am the Fell Dragon, Grima."**_

_She wanted to jump back. She needed to escape the darkness. The darkness wrapped around her like a web as the shadow laughed. She couldn't open her eyes even if she wanted to. The darkness smiled as their hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her close as she felt their breath on her neck, nuzzling her softly._

_" **So we finally meet** Decayed Earth **. No matter where you run...I will always find you my** [----] **.** " Grima muttered on her skin as he interviewed his hand with her left one. _

_The back of her hand burned. It burned as if something was there._

_She needs to escape. She needs to escape. She needs to..._

**_B̴u̸r̵n̷._ **

_The smile Grima wore was wiped off suddenly when his hand began sizzling._

**_"Burn._ ** _" Sophia thought as she felt herself pull back, "I need to burn."_

_A scream suddenly ripped from Grima's throat as fire suddenly burst all around her. She hugged her knees to her chest as the flames became a cocoon around her. They burned bright and turned all in its wake to cinders. Her eyes opened up a bit, slowly looking towards the source of the scream._

**_"CURSES!"_ ** _Grima roared yet because she was in a cocoon of flames, his figure was disoriented along with his voice, **"Curses! Curses! Curses! Why won't you just obey?!"**_

_She narrowed her eyes, still in a half-sleeping state. She wanted him gone._

**_"Burn."_ **

_She muttered and the flames surrounding her became even more intense. Grima roared, transforming into a dragon._

_" **YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE ME! YOU ARE [---]!"** He roared, yet to her his figure was still disoriented._

_"Burn. Burn." She kept repeating over and over in a whisper, the flames growing stronger and larger as her birthmark glowed brightly on her chest._

_The flames kept growing and growing till the darkness was no more. Grima roared as he was forced to retreat but the flames did not stop. The flames of green, blue, and gray pulsed and grew larger. Her chest became hotter and hotter._

_But..._

_"That is enough Daughter of Earth."_

_A gentle light touched the flames, subsided them to one of warmth instead of raging scorch. The flames settled away as her gaze was still dazed. Gentle hands of her own as the darkness was replaced with a panda of greenery. Slowly, Sophia's eyes opened as she registered what was going on. Flowers all around, a clear blue sky, yet the place felt safe._

_"You're finally awake."_

_She turned, hearing a female voice. Mint colored eyes smiled at her warmly as she looked at them shocked. Long emerald-colored hair tied together in a high ponytail, long side bangs that stopped just above her chest. Ruby with a gold tiara fan out wings on her forehead. A light pink colored cape that was knee length. She wore a crimson-colored tunic that stopped about half of her thighs. Pink colored corset tights with crimson-colored boots. On her waist was tied a large pink bow. But what was striking were her pointy ears._

_"Tiki..." Sophia gasped as the manakete nodded with a soft smile on her lips._

_"We finally meet Sophia. We have met before when you first activated The Dragon Vein. The second time when I aided you to stop The Witch's attack." Tiki said as Sophia gulped._

_"So I wasn't dreaming. That was you...But..." Sophia looked down to the grass, "But why?" She whispered._

_Tiki studied her for a moment then spoke._

_"You interest me. There is someone else I met who is like you. They too do not hail from this world. Yet you both possess a power similar to my own. Strength...and...love..." she whispered that last sentence to herself so Sophia could not hear it._

_"If I may...The path my homeland….. Outrealm Gates no longer exist in this world, do they?" Sophia whispered and Tiki nodded._

_"That is correct. The last Outrealm gate has collapsed and can no longer be restored. You wield the final gem. I am sorry if I have crushed any hope of yours." Tiki apologized and Sophia shook her head._

_"It's alright..." Sophia smiled sadly as she looked up to the woman, "I think that was what I needed to hear."_

_"What will you do now?" Tiki asked, "Your heart still wavers. You long for a place to call home. You wish to reach out to those you have avoided but you are still afraid. Your choices do matter. Whether you chose to continue forward or run, that is up to you." The manakete walked up to her and placed her index finger on the birthmark on her chest._

_"Follow your heart. Now, it's time to wake up. Your loved ones are waiting for you."_

**_[ End of Dream ]_ **

Carefully, she opened her eyes, yet for some reason, the vision from her left side was clear while the vision on her right side was a Blur. The light stung as it entered her field of vision, her body felt heavy. Like if she was tied down by bricks. She took her first breath and her entire body felt like it was on fire. She wanted to scream but the most she could make were gasp and whimpers. She heard shuffling and then someone ran to her. Jade colored eyes looked worried and she could hear them speaking.

"Hold on! I'm using Heal on you right now." Lissa said and the girl's staff glowed brightly over her.

The pain Sophia was feeling faded away and she could breathe normally again. Carefully, Lissa helped her sit up and her vision adjusted. However, everything was still blurry from her right eye.

"Are you alright?" Lissa asked her softly and Sophia blinked multiple times.

"Water..." her voice was hoarse and Lissa quickly handed her a glass of water.

Sophia's hands hurt but she quickly gulped it down as if it was the last drop on earth. She gasped and let go a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." She muttered, her voice still hoarse.

She looked around and saw there was a table with medical herbs as well as her bag and tomes. She noticed she was on a bed and then looked up, seeing she was in a tent. She could hear some leaves swaying and seeing the grass on the ground, she could tell they were in a forest.

"Where am I?" She asked and she finally noticed from the tips of her fingers to her chest, waist, neck, and wrapped around her head was bandaged.

"You're in the medical tent in the Ylisse camp. You...We weren't even sure if you were alive when Frederick brought you to." Lissa whispers, "You...you were just covered in blood and your right eye was bleeding some sort of silver substance. And...You looked like you were about to shatter...Oh, gods..." She covered her mouth, "I have never seen Frederick looking so worried."

Sophia blinked multiple times and then suddenly she remembered everything before she blacked out.

"Is everyone safe?!" Sophia blurted out and Lissa looked at her shocked but then realized why she was asking.

"Yes, everyone is safe. I promise." Lissa reassured her and Sophia let go a sigh of relief.

She could not help but start crying as she realized the war was over. _Ylisse won_. The fighting was over.

"It's over...Everyone is safe...the war...Gangrel...Aversa...they're gone. The war...it's over...I'm free. They're free...We're free...Ulp...Uhh...Whaaaaa...." Sophia began sobbing as she realized she, her friends, and those of Plegai were free of war.

Lissa smiled sadly to her as she let the woman cry her heart out and carefully walked out of the tent. She knew the woman needed time alone. For now, she will get her something to eat.

**[----]**

Perhaps an hour or two passed by and finally Sophia could think properly. She took a deep breath and sighed. It had been quite some time since she cried of relief and joyless. The last time she cried like that was when she learned she passed her exam to become a doctor. Her former classmate was a woman who was kind and encouraged her to work. The two suffered together and passed. She wonders how she is doing.

"Arisa, I hope you are well..." Sophia chuckled softly as she wiped her eyes.

She took another deep breath and headed a light tap on the tent flap.

"Hello? May I come in?" It was a male voice that spoke and Sophia nodded.

"You may." She said, her voice feeling a bit better but her eyes gave away she was crying but the man chose to say nothing.

The man had a pretty feminine face, blonde shoulder-length hair, and olive-colored eyes. He wore a white lab coat, shoulder plate armor, and boots. Only one pretty blonde boy came into her mind from this world and that was Libra.

"Good morning. I am glad you are awake." Libra smiled softly as he walked in with a tray of food, "I brought you some breakfast. Lissa informed me you woke but also that you needed some time alone."

"How considerate of her." Sophia thought and she gave him a nod as he moved the table in front of her so she could eat.

"Thank you for the food. And please tell Lissa as well." Sophia and Libra looked at her puzzled for a moment and then sat down on the chair next to her bed.

"How are you feeling? Any pain or anything feels different? Ah, before I forget. I am Libra, a priest from the Halidom of Ylisse. It is a pleasure to meet you." Libra introduced himself and Sophia nodded as she took a bite from the bread that was brought.

"My name is Sophia Zunino. I am a doctor." Sophia answered and Libra nodded, "As for your questions...I feel like a pile of bricks."

Libra could not help but let out a chuckle as she expressed herself but nodded.

"But...I'm worried about my right eye." Sophia placed her hand on it, "Lissa mentioned it was bleeding when I was brought to her. Now that I have woken up...my field of vision of my right eye is blurry." She muttered, "Reminding me, what day is it?"

"It is January 24. You have been asleep for at least two weeks." Libra said.

"TWO WEEKS?!" Sophia screeched, "Just how bad were my injuries?!"

"Miss Sophia...you were nearly at Death’s Door when you were brought in. The fact you are still alive is a miracle. For now," his hand hovered over her arm, "Let's get you checked. I need you to tell me everything. How you are feeling as well as any conditions I should be aware of."

"Like before, my right field of vision is blurred and I have scars caused by dark magic attacks. As for how I am feeling right now, exhausted."

**[-----]**

After a few minutes of talking, Libra nodded and informed her that she had become partially blind from her right eye. The good thing was that if she held an object close, she could see it from a close distance. Right now, she is slowly eating her food as she waits for Lissa to return. Libra had excused himself since the girl will be changing her bandages. Sophia sighed as she continued to eat.

"To think I have been asleep for two weeks..." she muttered, frustrated and then took a sip of her orange juice, "I wonder how the others are..."

She finished the last bit of her food and wiped her lips. Carefully, she moved and hissed a bit when she made her legs dangle from the side of the bed. Libra did tell her to rest but...

"He didn't say I couldn't step outside." Sophia grinned as she carefully stood up and put on the slippers that were left for her. It took a few minutes but thankfully she could walk well. She made it to the tent flap and peaked out, seeing no one was keeping guard.

Carefully she walked out, happy to finally have some fresh air. And since they were in a forest, there should be berries nearby. She put on some of the hoods that sages wear to make sure no one recognizes her.

She could not help but giggle to herself a little as she walked normally through the camp. You could still see many were recovering as well as resting. She spotted many tents, a few with names she recognized but she would not disturb anyone. Besides, no one will notice she is gone. She continued to walk, dodging soldiers and she spotted Sumia not too far away.

"Well, well, well." Sophia muttered to herself as she hid behind a table, "Gaius and Sumia getting closer. Well, now I know who Cynthia's parents will be." She smirked and quickly walked off before she was noticed.

A few more minutes and she was out of the camp. She should be resting but she needed some space. It's only a matter of time till she runs into Lysithea and she can already hear the tongue lashing she is going to receive from the woman. She walked through the forest that was once a desert. Now filled with life. Fae was flying around happily. Some whispering it had been years since the time of King Marth that they had seen the land full of life. What makes it ironic is that Altea became part of the border between the Halidom of Ylisse, and the Theocracy of Plegia.

"How ironic," Sophia muttered as she continued to walk ahead, her eyes becoming half-lidded as she observed the world around.

Her right field of vision is a blur but the closer she got to the bush, her vision became clear. She let go of a sigh as she heard running water nearby and sure enough, a river. A river in this area did not exist before the Dragon Vein was activated. There were moss and even a small waterfall. She knelt on the bank and looked at her reflection. Gently she touched the right side of her face.

The scars that looked like cracked glass stopped under her conjunctiva. The crimson emerald of her eye had become a milky color. She carefully removed the bandages wrapped around her head, seeing some of the green dye staining them. She then remembers she was wearing a gray nightgown and was glad she did grab the cloak to cover herself. She removed the bandages around her arm carefully and froze when she saw the back of her left hand.

"What...Why...Why do I?!" She quickly wrapped the bandage back on it.

She gritted her teeth and began to unbutton the front of her dress, again, carefully removing the bandages. She let out a bitter chuckle as she looked at the scars on her body. Like broken glass, like cracked glass. She looked like a cracked doll on the verge of shattering. However, she gently placed her hand on the birthmark of the center of her chest. It was there and wasn't touched by the scars. The scars of cracked glass were on her fingertips and ended at her elbow. She moved her right sleeve and sure enough, there was a jagged scar on her right shoulder that stopped just above her breast. That was the scar left when Frederick stabbed her with the Emperor's Lance. Suddenly, she felt very tired.

"So much for berries." She muttered and stood up but...

"Eh?" The world suddenly began spinning as she felt all her energy drained.

The only thing she heard was a loud splash as her eyes were wide, the green world turned blue as she felt herself sinking deeper and deeper into the waters. The cold felt the same as when she was first brought to this world but this time she could see the sun. The sun is getting farther and farther away. The sounds became muffled but she saw someone jump. A dark figure moved towards her and before she knew it, arms had wrapped around her, pulling her up.

"GASP!"

Air. She could breathe again! She coughed and looked up, seeing a familiar concerned face.

"Are you alright?!" Frederick said and she nodded.

She noticed he was lacking his armor. He wore a white long-sleeve button-up shirt as well as black pants. But she really shouldn't be paying attention to his looks. He carried her out and she heard footsteps running up to them. The bushes were pushed away and she saw Morgan along with Lissa running towards them!

"Oh, thank goodness you found her!" Lissa gasped in relief as she saw Frederick was carrying her.

"Teacher, what the heck?! Sir Libra said you need to be resting!" Morgan scolded her and Sophia just sighed.

"I wanted fresh air and berries," Sophia whispered and hid her face in Frederick's chest like a child.

Crickets began chirping because they could not believe the answer. It was followed by Morgan's facepalming and Lissa sighing.

"If you were hungry and wanted to go for a walk, you could have just asked for one of the Shepherds to accompany you!" Lissa puffed her cheeks and glared at her.

"But in all seriousness," Frederick looked to her, "You should be resting."

Sophia was going to retort back but suddenly she was very aware that for some reason she seemed taller than Lissa and Morgan. That's when she realized, Fredrick was carrying her.

"Put me down." Sophia suddenly blurted out as she slowly felt the heat rising all over her face. The others were confused until Lissa and Morgan realized why. The two were a snickering mess as they watched the poor woman bury her face in her hands in embarrassment. The idiot chose to disobey Libra's orders to lay down in bed and had chosen to go walking. Well, the idiot didn't have much stamina and fell into the river nearby because she wanted to pick berries. If Frederick hadn't seen her sneak off, she would have drowned. He dove in on time to pull her out and was now carrying her back to the camp.

_Princess style._

Sophia hated being carried like some little girl and right now, it wasn't her proudest moment. Frederick glared at her as he walked, carrying her in his arms.

"That fact you disobeyed another doctor's orders does not help your situation. You are recovering!" He scolded her and she whined, the noise muffled by her hands.

"I wanted something sweet..." she muttered.

"You could have asked Gaius."

"He doesn't like sharing."

At this point, Morgan and Lissa have lost it as they watched the woman be carried off into camp. It did not help that when they arrived, people looked at them shocked. It was made worse because Chrom was out patrolling along with Robin and Henry. Both Sophia and Frederick were soaked to the bone but all Sophia did was hide her face in his chest like a child. She could just feel everyone's eyes on them.

"Sophia..." Henry was the first to speak.

"Shut up."

**[-------]**

After she was given medical attention ( _and a scolding from Libra_ ), they brought her a change of clothing and allowed her to go to the hot spring that was built to clean herself up. She didn't expect a hot spring to be in this area but she learned that it was built by Robin and Miriel with the help of Ricken. So, she wrapped a towel around herself and first tested the water by dipping her toe in. Of course, it was nice, steamy and hot. And she spotted the magic tool at the center. She didn't see anyone else and was glad. She let herself sink in, a blissful sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back.

"Ouch!" Her body was suddenly stinging but she then noticed the water was green and different leaves were floating in it.

"It's an herbal bath."

She screeched a bit and whirled to the left. At the far corner of the hot spring, she spotted someone.

"Um...I think I understand." Sophia muttered and she walked a bit closer.

The mist wasn't helping but she was able to make a figure of a woman as she got a bit closer.

"Stop." The woman's voice was a bit deep, "I stench of Risen is all over you man-spawn. That distance is more than enough." They said coldly.

The mist cleared up a bit, revealing a woman with elbow-length dark brown hair let loose, her neck covered in brown fur that ended in a V-shape above her chest. She was wrapped in a white towel. But what was most striking were the brown-colored rabbit ears on her head. Her brown eyes had a gaze that was like steel as they looked at her coldly.

"You're..." Sophia gasped once she realized who she is, "Panne."

Panne only narrowed her eyes as Sophia looked at her shocked.

"How do you know who I am?" Panne spoke in a chilling tone but Sophia blinked.

"I heard a friend of mine mention you. I believe you are acquainted with Henry?" Sophia said and Panne grimaced.

"Ah yes...The child rips wings from flies yet the scent of tragedy lingers deeply with him. He is unpleasant but bearable to be around." Panne muttered and Sophia sat down five feet away from her since Panne did not like her scent.

"Hmph. You are not afraid yet you sit quite a distance." Panne commented and Sophia chuckled a bit nervously.

"Well...I want to respect your boundaries." Panne twitched, "I will not force my presence nor will I be so close."

The Taguel hummed a bit as she crossed her arms.

"I heard about what happened in the battle." Sophia twitched, "Your scent...it has the blood of many humans. Those who you killed in the war but also those who you have saved their lives. Heh." Panne glanced at her, "It is a mixture of anger yet also...strange..." she turned to her fully, "Why does your scent keep changing? One moment it is the stench of blood but then it is that of the earth."

"I do not know," Sophia muttered as she held her hands, looking at the water

Even her legs were covered in the glass cracked scars.

"I am not from this land. Perhaps that is why my scent is different. The best I could describe it is that am an outsider." Sophia sighed as memories from a certain cousin of hers was coming back, "As for kin, I only have one...the rest have passed on. And only one of my kin I hope they rot the bloody depths of hell." She growled that last sentence.

"Haha!" Panne let out a laugh, "Man-spawn, just for a moment you became clear. There is anger. Anger is deeply embedded into your soul to the point you have let it take over you. I do wonder to what extent you have let take control." She smirked.

"You don't want to know." Sophia cringed but then realized she and Panne were having a civil conversation.

Still, five feet apart, respecting her space.

"Tell me man spawn, what do you see of us right now?" She asked and Sophia blinked.

"What do you mean?" Sophia said and Panne's eyes became half-lidded.

"You are speaking normally. Do you know what I am?" Panne gave her glance.

"Yes. You are a taguel. The last of your kin." Sophia said and the woman nodded.

"You know more but chose not to say anything. Why?" Panne muttered and Sophia sighed.

"Out of respect."

After that, their conversation ended but somehow the rest of the bath, they sat in comfortable silence.

**[-----]**

The clothing Sophia was given was a Ylisse style Valkyrie uniform minus the armor parts. It was a light pink and painfully obvious that unfortunately...

"The zipper for my chest does not close," Sophia said in a flat tone as Lissa was assisting her to change.

"Umm...Well...unfortunately it's the only dress size available." Lissa chuckled a bit nervously and suddenly, the zipper popped.

"Ghaa!" The girls quickly ducked down as the damn thing jumped all over the room and flew right out the tent flap.

Something sounded like it shattered and Felix screamed because one of the armors that he had in its stand was destroyed, causing everything to fall apart after hours of cleaning it. Felix's tent was in front of Sophia’s, about 10 feet away. Lissa and Sophia just turned to each other, looked at the tent flap, and then back to each other.

"We saw nothing," Sophia said immediately and the girl quickly nodded her head.

"Anyhow, how about I bring you the Sage Class Dress?" Lissa said and Sophia shook her head.

"Just bring me men's clothing." Sophia groaned.

"What?! Men's clothing?!" Lissa gawked.

"I rather wear men's clothing than have the front of uniform burst open." Sophia bluntly said and Lissa pouted but went to get it.

A few minutes later, she came back with a white long-sleeved button-up shirt. They let her keep the skirt. Lissa stepped out and unfortunately for Sophia, the girl was just barely hiding her snickers.

Lissa stole that shirt from Frederick's tent.

**[----]**

She was nervous. She was officially going to meet Chrom, Robin properly. Reunite with Lysithea, most likely be thrown in prison and have to run for her life. She was also going to see a familiar face and put it on trial. She's glad she reapplied the green hair dye. Sophia took a deep breath and walked into the tent. Sure enough, all the Shepherds have gathered around and she felt her blood run cold seeing Phila was also present. The aqua haired woman wore her pegasus knight armor and her eyes were cold as they locked onto Sophia. There was a thin scar that ran horizontally on the bridge of her nose. Sophia felt guilt begin to eat her because she was hiding Emmeryn from all of them. She gulped and went to take her seat because the only ones missing were Robin and Chrom. She sat between Tharja and Derrick. She could feel everyone else's eyes on her. Lysithea, who sat across from her, her eyes bore into her soul. Sophia only looked down to the table as she held her hands together. Her hands were shaking. She was terrified. The Shepherds, she avoided them for so long and now she has to face them. Morgan looked worried while Henry's smile was strained.

"It'll be fine," Derick whispered to her, making her turn to him a bit.

"Derrick, I'm just ready to face execution," Sophia whispered back and Gauis gave her a concerned look.

"Sophia."

Lysithea called out her name and yet she didn't lookup.

"It's been a while," Lysithea said in a flat tone and Sophia did not answer.

The silence was becoming suffocating at this point and it felt a bit of a miracle and curse when Robin and Chrom came in.

"Did something happen?" Robin looked at everyone confused because she noticed the tense atmosphere.

No one answered. Chrom sighed a bit as he walked to the front along with Robin.

"I'm glad everyone is well and rested. As of now, the plan is to return to Ylisse and give those that have fallen a proper burial. The bodies of our people will be returned to Ylisse and the arrangement will be done by the Ylisse Funeral parlor. Martha will make sure everyone receives the proper arrangements." Chrom explained and Sophia noticed Frederick's eye twitch.

This was the first time she had heard someone by the name Martha. And she knows for a fact that the game never once mentioned a funeral parlor in Ylisse.

"But moving onto another topic," Robin spoke up and looked towards Sophia, "we wish to introduce someone who helped us from the shadows."

"Eh?" Sophia blinked multiple times as she finally looked up, shocked.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Sophia." Robin smiled warmly as she placed her right hand over her heart, "My name is Robin and I am the tactician of the Ylisse Army. We have heard of you from Lysithea, Tharja, Gauis, Henry, Derrick, and Morgan."

"I..um...I..." Sophia was at a loss for words as Robin smiled.

"I know this will be a lot, but can you tell us about what happened during your time in Plegia?" The tactician said and Sophia's mind went blank.

"Please do not rush yourself." Chrom said, "But also, thank you for protecting my sister and saving Frederick." He smiled softly at her.

"YOU SHOULD NOT BE THANKING ME!" Sophia abruptly stood up, slamming her hands on the table.

It took everyone by surprise as the woman was shaking as she refused to look up to them.

"I avoided you all like the plague. No matter what I did, it wasn't enough. I wasn't able to do anything to prevent this war. Even if Gangrel is gone, Grimleal still lives." Her voice was shaking as she continued to speak, "I hurt people. I did questionable things to try and prevent collateral damage and it still wasn't enough. The people of Plegia, Ferox, and Ylisse still suffered from the bloody war. No matter how much I or anyone did...it wasn't enough..." she hated that she was breaking down in front of so many.

"Lysithea, I hurt you. I didn't give a choice." Sophia sobbed as the violet hair mage breath hitched, "I knew you would be hurt if I sent you away but also knew that if you stayed with me, Validar would have sent you back to Valm as a prisoner of war. Ylisse was the first to come to mind. A place for you to be safe and also be surrounded by people that care for you."

"I didn't want you to suffer anymore...So I sent you away. I didn't care at that moment how much you would be hurt by my decision. I just wanted you to be safe because for once in my life, I didn't want to lose another important person." Sophia said and then looked to Chrom, "No matter what I did...your sister still met her end...I don't deserve your Thank you or praise."

"Teacher..." Morgan said and before anyone said anything, Sophia bolted out of the tent.

"Wait, Sophia!"

She heard someone call out to her but she ignored it, running out.

**[-----]**

An hour, probably two most likely passed but she didn't care. She has run deep into the forest again and back to the waterfall. How she still had the energy to run, she didn't know. Everyone in the camp is either looking for her or just let her be. Sophia was a coward who couldn't face Lysithea properly when her name was called. The sight of Phila made guilt claw at her heart for hiding that Emmeryn was alive. Her newest guilt to the list is that she nearly accidentally killed Cordelia. Now, her snapping in front of the very people she never wanted to see her like a broken doll...it was over. She sat near the edge of the waterfall, hugging her knees together. She stared at the water as it flowed down.

Why did she break? She did not deserve praise or forgiveness. She did not deserve Chrom's and Robin's kindness for helping them. She did not deserve Lysithea's forgiveness for hurting her emotionally. She heard the crunch of leaves and quickly blended herself with the shadows.

"How strange." The familiar color of silver came into her field of vision, "I could have sworn I sensed her." It was Robin.

Sophia was silent and flinched when the taction suddenly turned her way. Robin smiled softly as she waved.

"Hey there. We've been looking for you." Robin spoke in a calm tone because she did not know how Sophia was going to react.

Already, the tactician was starting to worry because of how to void the woman's eyes were and how much her face lacked emotions. Sophia was silent and closed her eyes, turning back to look at the water as she let go of a sigh. She let go of her knees, letting them dangle on the edge.

"...why did you look for me? Especially after the scene that happened at the meeting," Sophia muttered and Robin smiled sadly to her.

"The emotions you displayed are proof that you are remorseful but most of all, that you are human." Robin walked up and extended her hand, "How about we talk calmly over a cup of tea?"

Sophia stared at her hand for a moment but even if she was hesitant, she took it.

_It was the first step towards the iron maid opening._


	20. A Dawn Sunrise

Robin had placed a " **DO NOT ENTER** " sign on the flap door of her tent and another one that said, " **ESPECIALLY YOU CHROM!** " Sophia had to keep herself from snickering it since she knew why Robin did it. The silver-haired woman poured Sophia a cup and also herself. The table had a variety of sweets. A few were from Plegia, others from Ferox and some from Ylisse. From this, Sophia could tell Robin had a sweet tooth and also loved eating food because of the number of sweets there were in front of them. As for the tea Robin served, it was Ferox winter mint.

"How are you so far?" Robin asked as Sophia sighed a bit, "And I do not mean physically."

The green-haired woman looked up to her surprise.

"Emotionally and mentally, how do you feel?" Robin repeated and Sophia let out a small chuckle.

"You're the first to ask me those questions honestly." Sophia muttered, "I'm always asked if I'm fine but never if **_I_** am fine." She picked up her cup, "I'm tired. I'm hurting. I feel guilty. I'm in pain both physically and spiritually. I owe you and every one an apology."

"Sophia." Robin said and the woman looked at her concerned, "Even if you have met just now, I have always known your name. I do not know why but I know I can trust you." The woman smiled sadly as she looked at the liquid of her cup, "While I do not understand the suffering you have gone through, I do understand what it is like to be an outsider."

Robin picked up her cup, looking at her reflection. Her own tried crimson eyes looked back to her. Sophia understood what she meant as she sighed.

"I don't know what to do anymore. When I first you all...I was afraid." Sophia muttered, "So I kept my distance but I still wanted to help you all in a way. That's why I sent that note so you all could get a heads up in saving Maribelle’s brother." She took a sip of her tea.

"That map helped us!" Robin expressed, "We had fewer casualties as well as we were able to swiftly save the boy!" Sophia looked at her surprised, "You did everything you could, Sophia. It was more than enough. You did well." Robin smiled softly.

_You did well._

Those words were more than enough for Sophia to break down. Robin smiled softly as she stood up and hugged the woman tightly, letting her cry on her shoulder. For Sophia, it was something she needed. For so long she surpassed her emotions, the few times she expressed them was out of fear or anger, and rarely joy. But to express her emotions out of relief is something she needed. Robin was silent as she let the woman cry. She carried a burden on her shoulders, one she can not share yet. Robin understood the feeling of not belonging, feeling lost and helpless. Yet, with all that, a hand reached out to her. One with kindness and gentleness, a heart of steel and gold. That was Chrom, the man she fell in love with. Both women didn't know how many hours had passed but by the time Sophia was alright, she seemed calmer and as if a shadow was lifted from her.

"Ah...sorry about your shirt," Sophia muttered when she saw how wet Robin's shirt was.

"It's alright." Robin waved her hands a bit, "This is not the first time I have lent a shoulder. But, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you're more than welcome!" She grinned as Sophia nodded.

"Oh no." Sophia gasped as she picked up her teacup, "The tea went cold. And you went through the trouble to make it." She sighed.

"Do not worry!" Robin chuckled as she went behind a curtain to change, "I can just warm it up with some fire magic. Besides, now that you have calmed down, we have a lot to talk about." You could hear clothing shuffling.

Right when Sophia was going to answer, the tent flap suddenly snapped.

"What the?" She could see someone trying to open it but who?

"Robin? Are you in there? Why is the tent flap locked?"

It was Chrom. Oh boy...

Robin let out a groan as she had finished changing her shirt and walked towards the tent flap.

"Chrom! Can you not read?! I have a reason why the tent flap is closed!" She yelled through.

Sophia could hear Robin saying why Chrom was temporarily banned from their tent. She couldn't help snort when Robin kept saying " _you know why!_ " when Chrom still couldn't figure it out. On the other hand, Sophia understood Robin's embarrassment.

"Robin, please just explain why I can't come in! You even went as far as to zip up the tent flap!" Chrom pleaded and at this point, Sophia decided to give the man a verbal slap.

A gentle but powerful one.

"Honey, it's because I'm here!" She yelled out and Robin whirled around faster than the speed of light.

Chrom immediately shut up.

"Chrom, do you want to disturb our tea time?! Gasp! Oh my!" She was being a little shit and Robin figured it out based on how her ears were turning red, "A lady needs her nap time as well as time to eat sweets. Do you want to come in here and see us both in our small clothes?"

And Robin had officially become red as ruby and she could hear Chrom become a stuttering mess outside. Sophia kept going. Oh, she was going to take this opportunity to tease the couple.

"Ah! And it is quite rude to just walk into a tent or any room without announcing! What if Robin was naked?!" And Robin screamed while Chrom sounded like he was choking.

"Be a good boy and wait your turn to have fun with the lady."

"SOPHIA!"

Sophia had slapped her hand over her mouth as Chrom quickly excused himself and at this point, she had lost it. It's been years since she had a good laugh like this and it was one she welcomed. Robin could not help but laugh along with her but she was still upset with what the woman did. She warmed up the tea again and began to observe the woman. There was a rumor that Sophia and Sir Frederick had become close during their time in Plegia.

"That's it!" It was as if a Thron spell struck her.

Sophia had a triumphant smirk as she smugly took a sip of her tea. Robin glared but suddenly was observing the woman's shirt. Then like if the Thorn spell has struck her, she knew the perfect combat.

"That shirt." Robin smiled sweetly as she picked up her cup to take a sip, "It is quite large."

"I asked Lissa to get me men's clothing because the tank top of the Valkyrie uniform did not fit me," Sophia said as she took another sip of her tea.

She's going to make sure Felix never finds out it was her fault he had to clean his armor all over again.

"Is that so?" Robin said in a happy tone, "Do you know where she got it from?"

"I know one of the soldiers gave it to her," Sophia said, a bit confused.

"Oh." Robin raised her cup to her lips, "Sophia, that's _Frederick's_ shirt."

"PFFFFFTTT!"

Robin blissfully took a sip of her tea as she enjoyed hearing Sophia choke on her own.

"Eh?!" Sophia looked at the tactician with wide eyes as crimson spread all over her face.

"Oh." Robin blinked innocently, "Lissa never told you? She saw that the other uniforms did not fit you and asked Frederick for one of his shirts." She smiled.

Sophia couldn't form any words at all as she slowly stood up to leave. Robin felt victorious as she yelled out a bit as she used magic to open up the tent flap now and remove the signs.

"Enjoy your time here!" Robin smiled as Sophia sent her a glare.

Robin just burst out laughing after she left.

**[-----]**

Sophia, once again found herself at the river, hugging her knees because of embarrassment. Her face was still crimson because it never once crossed her mind that she was wearing Frederick's shirt. She let go of a sigh as she stood up and suddenly squeaked when arms suddenly circled her waist. She quickly looked down and saw it was Nowi.

"Hide me!" The young manakete squealed as she was bouncing on her toes.

"What happened?"

**"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT! GIVE ME BACK MY UNDERWEAR!"**

"Oh." Sophia got her answer when Derrick's raging voice was heard throughout the entire camp.

Laughter could be heard filling up the entire camp. Nowi snickered as she waved a red cloth as if it was a flag.

"Nowi, you're going to get yourself killed." Sophia sighed as she took the garment from her and warped it to her friend.

"THANK YOU TO WHOEVER GOT IT BACK!"

"Aw! You ruined it! I was getting him back for eating my pudding!" Nowi pouted and Sophia just pinched the bridge of her nose.

She gently patted the manakete's head and began to head back to camp. She was hungry and after pouring her heart out to Robin, she wanted some sleep.

"Hey!" Nowi followed after her, "I never got to thank you for saving me in Plegia." She said as she had her hands behind her back.

"How's your shoulder?" Sophia asked, concerned.

"Oh much better! Lysithea said that the arrow just barely missed my veins and that I will recover quickly! But I'm still in mandatory no transforming into a dragon." She pouted and Sophia chuckled as they arrived near the stables.

"I'm still learning about manaketes but maybe I can make you something you like? What do you usually eat?" Sophia asked as they stopped in front of the wyvern stables.

"Oh! I love eating fruits a lot but also MEAT! Pork is my favorite. Oh! I don't like spicy stuff but I'm willing to eat it." Nowi grinned.

"How about I make you something from my homeland? I can tell you're hungry." Sophia had a way with kids and in this case, Nowi was like a child to her despite knowing the real age of the girl.

Nowi looked at her with sparkles in her eyes and nodded enthusiastically.

"Now, go apologize to Derrick. Believe me, someone running away with your clothing while you're taking a bath is not pretty." Sophia said and Nowi puffed her cheeks, "I'll throw in a dessert."

"Okay!" Nowi grinned and left to apologize to the man.

From what she has heard from Morgan, the two-act-like siblings. She sighed and saw the wyverns were excited to see her but she also saw the pegasus. Ingrid was kept in a separate stall because of what happened during the war. However, she was surprised to see a familiar redhead tending to Petra. Cordelia wiped her brow as she set down hay in Petra's stall along with the other wyverns. Sophia sighed to herself and decided to walk up to the woman, to help her out. She was struggling a bit with the haystack.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sophia quickly ran to help her when Cordelia was about to trip.

She quickly caught the other side and helped her place it down.

"Oh, thank you!" Cordelia smiled and it faded a bit when she saw who it was that helped her.

"Hello." Sophia smiled a bit crooked but she needed to speak to the woman.

There was an awkward silence till she spoke.

"Listen, I want to apologize for what happened during the war. I did not think Ingrid would go wild when she heard my whistle and you nearly fell to your death. I sincerely apologize. I understand if you hold a grudge or want nothing to do with me, but I could not in my good mind not apologize to you. I do hope one day you can forgive me." Sophia politely bowed to her.

Cordelia was shocked by her words and even more that she was bowing to her. Petra gave a small whine as Cordelia walked around to the haystack to Sophia.

"Please raise your head." Sophia slowly looked up and saw Cordelia looked unsure.

The red-haired woman sighed a bit but spoke.

"Thank you for apologizing." Cordelia muttered, "What Ingrid did, many unpredictable things happen during war. So no one would predict she would do that. It is a rare behavior pegasus show. But you did also save my life and if you had not let us use your wyvern, we would have not been able to take over the east-west fort." She let go a small breath as she looked at the woman with a small smile, "Yes, I was terrified but also a lesson learned."

Sophia looked at her surprised and when she was about to speak, Petra chirped and poor Cordelia began being licked all over her face.

"Ugh!" The woman wiped her cheek but couldn't help but laugh as she tried to calm down the wyvern.

"What on earth did I do to earn your wyvern’s favor!?" She laughed a bit as she was finally able to back away.

"Petra has taken a shining to you." Sophia smiled as she walked to the wyverns and petted it, "She was raised in Plegia and when a wyvern acknowledges a rider, it means they have seen they have potential to do extreme flying tricks for combat." She looked to the red-haired woman, "Petra sees you as a capable rider."

"Oh!" Cordelia looked at the wyvern surprised, "Well, aren't you a warrior?"

The wyvern let a prideful roar.

"Say," Sophia chuckled a bit, "How about we head back to camp? I have to cook dinner anyway since it was the only way to convince Nowi to apologize to Derrick." Sophia smiled a bit.

"Oh, food sounds lovely. By the way," Cordelia extended her hand out to her, "We may have started on the wrong foot but with today's meeting, I want to give you a chance. I'm Cordelia von Hairus, a pegasus knight. Nice to meet you." She grinned.

Sophia stared for a moment but smiled as she took Cordelia's hand and shook it.

"I'm Sophia Zunino, mage and doctor."

**[-----]**

Sophia put on the apron she found on the counter and placed her hand on her chin as she looked at the goods available today. There wasn't anyone in the cooking tent and there was a variety of fruits and vegetables and surprisingly rice. It's not the first time she has cooked for a large crowd. It reminded her of her days when she would do volunteer work. Claude was perched nearby and she already gave him his food. Sophia stared at the wild boar that was brought in by Donnel and Stahl. She picked up the knife and began to skin and deboned it. She's eaten wild boar from her hunting days with her grandfather. A nice pheasant was also brought so she decided to roast it nicely in the stone ovens. The rice she washed and decided to steam it. The boar decided to cook a spicy sauce pork dish from her home. She then thought about Panne. The taguel can not eat potatoes because it makes them sick so...

"Fruits and vegetables. A salad with no dressing. Hmmm...lettuce, basil, apples, carrots, cilantro, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. That should do it." She quickly found the crate with the fruits and vegetables and began preparing the dish. Dinner wouldn't be in about an hour and the food would be ready by then. Even if she was alone in the tent cooking while humming a tune. She spotted flour, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients to make a few pastries. She grabbed them and decided to make some Mexican polvorones, also known as wedding cookies because she had a funny feeling Chrom and Robin were going to announce their engagement tonight. She was walking back and forth as the hour ticked by preparing the food and right when she was going to take a break, someone decided to come into the tent.

"Hello? Oh, it smells lovely in here! Who is coo-Kya!"

SMACK!

"Ohhh!" Sophia cringed and quickly went to help out the poor woman that tripped on air back on her feet.

"Are you alright?" Sophia looked at the woman.

"Y-Yes I am alright!" Soft brown-colored eyes looked up to her.

The woman had curled long flowing brown colored hair and wore light pink armor with thigh-high boots. She had two wing hair clips on the back of her head.

"You're Sumia, aren't you?" Sophia gasped and the woman quickly straightened herself.

"Yes! And you are?" Sumia looked at her curiously then noticed all the food on the table, "Wait, did you make all this by yourself?!"

"Yes." Sophia couldn't help but beam, "I made all this for everyone! I hope it's all to your liking!"

Sumia's eyes sparkled but she then realized she forgot to introduce herself.

"Oh! I nearly forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sumia von Sheila! I remember you from the meeting. Are you alright?" Sumia asked, concerned and Sophia nodded.

"I'm alright. And thank you for your concern." Sophia gave her a soft smile.

"I'm glad." Sumia smiles kindly, "Many of us were worried and you bolted out. But I am glad you are alright."

"Once more, thank you for your concern." Sophia turned to pick up a plate, the roast pheasant, "Think you can help me take the food to the tables?"

"Eh?! Me?!" Sumia pointed to herself, "But I--" too late.

Sophia plopped the plate in her hands with a smile. She used to work as a waitress as a part-time job so it was funny seeing Sumia's jaw drop when she saw Sophia carrying multiple plates to the table. Sumia was on the verge of tripping but thankfully Gauis caught her on time. After he helped her, Sophia immediately saw how Gauis was eyeing the cookies she made, like a hawk. The man had already made his way to the table to take some but Sophia was faster.

Smack!

"Ow! What the hell Nymph?!" Gaius glared at Sophia for smacking his hand to keep him from smuggling the cookies she made.

"No cookies till after dinner!" Sophia scolded him and the man just groaned.

"If you want cookies, help me bring the rest of the dishes out!" She argued and Gauis nodded.

"By the way, did you make all this? It all looks amazing!" He yelled out as she walked out of the tent.

"I did!" She grinned as she placed the last of the plates out.

Gaius also put the last plate out along with Sumia and it was time for everyone to dig in. The first person who went to the spicy pork dish like some dying man was Vaike. He nearly choked but Miriel surprisingly slapped him on the back.

"Whoo! Aye, this food is delicious! Give my thanks to the chef!" Vaile yelled out with a mouthful and Miriel pinched the bridge of her nose. Sophia smiled softly as she sat down next to Tharja and surprisingly Lysithea sat in front of her. The violet-haired mage was silent and Tharja was ready to cast a sleeping sleep but...

"I understand now why you did it."

Sophia's eyes went wide as Lysithea sighed. The girl took a small bite of her pheasant and then spoke.

"I still wish I could have stayed with you back looking back at it...we both would have been in danger," Lysithea muttered and Sophia smiled sadly.

"Thank you." Sophia smiled and Lysithea nodded as she picked up the plate of polvorones, "Your debt has been paid with these cookies." And she stuffed one in her mouth.

However, her eyes went wide at how the cookie melted in her mouth and she could taste almonds and honey. The perfect cookie that melted in her mouth. Lysithea began squealing like a child as she was in complete bliss.

"What are these cookies?! They are absolute heaven!" She yelled and Sophia chuckled as she carefully took the plate from her friend.

"These cookies are called polvorones. A recipe from my homeland." Sophia grinned as she finally allowed the others to get some.

"Whoa, Holy Naga! These are divine! Nymph, I have to request you make me a few bags of these!" Gauis looked like he was in heaven as he ate.

"Hmm, not bad." Tharja commented, "I am usually not fond of sweets but these will do for me."

And like a bullet, Nowi appeared and grabbed a handful, stuffing them in her mouth.

"Kyyyyyaaaaa! These are delicious!" She squealed while everyone else was looking in horror.

"Pipsqueak! Don't eat them all!" Derrick yelled out and quickly jumped over the table to catch her but unfortunately, the girl was much faster than him.

"Whoo!" Nowi jumped with two plates in her hands, higher than anticipated, then stepped right on Derrick's face, using him as a bit of a stepping stone to jump and run away laughing like a gremlin.

Sophia could not help but burst out laughing along with Lysithea at the scene. Robin and Chrom were also laughing from their seats. Panne cracked a small smile as she ate the vegetable and fruit salad Sophia made for her. Even the other Shepards were laughing.

"Aw, there is one cookie left for our table," Sophia commented and like hawks, Gauis and Lysithea had their eyes on it.

Sophia was suddenly very afraid with the cookie in her hands.

"Sophia, can I please have the cookie? You know I'm your favorite." Lysithea smiled sweetly.

"Oh, gonna play like that Cupcake?" Gauis smirked but the smiles were completely wiped off their faces when said cookie was suddenly taken out of Sophia's hands, and was eaten.

"Hmm..." Frederick hummed as he chewed, " These are quite good. They would go well with a warm cup of tea." He swallowed.

It was as if all the energy and their very souls left their bodies as Lysithea and Gauis sat back down with defeated looks. Sophia could not help but laugh at the stunt Frederick just pulled and quite a few couldn't believe it either. She calmed down a bit and looked up at him.

"I didn't think you were so cruel!" She was still laughing as he shook his head and gave her a small smile.

"If it meant stopping whatever disaster was about to strike, so be it. By the way, Morgan has caught Nowi along with Lissa." He said and Sophia just sighed, shaking her head.

"Let them be kids. Lissa's 17 anyway." Sophia smiled as she took a sip of her wine.

Before Frederick could speak, the sound of glass clinking could be heard. Everyone looked towards the table where Chrom and Robin sat and saw the couple standing up. The place quoted down and people sat back down.

"Thank you everyone for your attention!" Chrom grinned, "Over the past few months that have come and go, we have gone through war. We overcame the obstacles that were thrown our way. We stood by each other's side and fought. For that, I thank you all." Chrom smile became a bit sad as he looked up to the sky, "And to my sister Emmyren. Her words caused a change in the hearts of many. Sister, I hope you're doing well."

Sophia frowned a bit. Emmeryn was alive. She was hidden away currently. Yet, she felt guilt claw her.

"We shall be heading back to Ylisse in a few days. But before we do, I have an announcement to make." Chrom motioned Robin towards him and both raised their hand.

Many gasped once they saw the silver rings the couple was wearing.

"Robin and I are engaged!" Chrom yelled and the entire camp broke into cheers, many yelling out congratulations to the couple.

Sophia looked over to Cordelia's table, where she could see the woman was in shock but also holding back tears. She put on a fake smile and clapped to congratulate the couple. She sighed, knowing the woman was devastated and only hoped that she would do well in the future. Sophia watched as the Shepherds one by one went to congratulate Chrom and Robin as she took a bite of her food.

"Say, you want to know the other name the cookies go by?" Sophia said and the others looked at her confused, "They are also called Wedding Cookies." She smirked.

Lysithea already hoped that the cookies Sophia made would also be made for the royal couple's wedding. Frederick chuckled a bit as he ate.

"I'm assuming you predicted this was going to happen tonight?" He asked and Sophia just shrugged.

She spotted Morgan smiling sadly and most likely on the verge of crying because he was seeing his parents become engaged and also was celebrating it.

"Excuse me." She excused herself and went to Morgan's table.

He was sitting with Nowi, Lissa and Stahl. The others were away, congratulating the couple while it was just Morgan sitting alone. The boy jumped a bit when Sophia sat next to him but let go a sigh of relief. She ruffled his hair a bit and spoke.

"How are you doing?" She whispered and Morgan sighed as a sad smile graced his lips.

"I never thought I would see the moment my parents became engaged. Being here with all the Shepherds...experiencing what I was never able to in the future...it's all so much. I'm beyond grateful for these moments. Yet...I feel like something is missing." Morgan muttered.

"What do you plan to do?" She asked and the boy turned to her.

"I asked Lady Miriel if I could enroll into the magic academy when we return to Ylisse. She was very happy and welcomed me. Sir Ricken also. I want to become stronger to protect this present we have now." Morgan muttered and Sophia nodded.

She smiled a bit and stood up, extending her hand to him.

"We have yet to give our blessings to the couple." Sophia grinned and the boy took her hand.

Morgan was nervous as they walked up and waited for their turn. After Sumia and Kellmen finished their congratulations, it was their turn. Morgan held his hands together as he was trying not to show his nervousness but it melted away at the sight of his parents. They were brimming with joy, something he missed. When they turned to them, he could not help but yell out in joy.

"Congratulations on your engagement!" Sophia had never seen him so happy and she knew the boy was trying to hold back tears.

Chrom could not help but laugh and ruffle the boy's hair.

"Thank you, Morgan!" Chrom grinned and Robin hugged the boy.

"Thank you so much, Morgan! I hope to see you at the wedding!" Robin grinned and Morgan nodded his head rapidly.

"I will be there! For sure!" Morgan yelled out and Sophia saw some of his tears fall.

She smiled and turned to the couple with a plate of the cookies she made.

"Congratulations, you two. I hope Naga watches over you all." She said and Robin nodded as she took the plate.

"Thank you, Sophia. By the way, these cookies are divine! I have never eaten ones like these before." Robin said and Sophia smiled.

"Well, that's because this is a recipe from my homeland. Also, these are called, Wedding Cookies." She smirked when she saw Chrom freeze as he was in the middle of eating one.

"Congratulations once more!" Sophia said and Robin couldn't help but laugh.

"Sophia, I request you make these during the wedding," Chrom said as he swallowed the last bit.

Sophia chuckled and gave a small smile.

"I'll think about it."

The rest of the night was a giant celebration and excuse to get wasted by some others.

**[-----]**

Sophia let go of a sigh as she woke up in the morning. It's been a few days since the celebration and many were starting to pack up their things to head back to Ylisse. That was the thing, she can't go with them. _Not yet at least._ She could pull the disappearing act but then everyone would panic and try to look for her. Not to mention that Lysithea would have her head on a stick. She had much to think about. First, was helping Emmeryn enough to recover but also to return her to her family. There was going to be a lot of drama when it happened. Next, the Grimleal. She knows the Grimleal or hunting her down and not to mention she doesn't even know if Aversa is alive or not. It was reported she fell from the sky but was rescued. The only she does know is if the woman survived the wounds she received from her. Sophia also has to worry about future children. She has been keeping an eye out for them but the only ones she has encountered are Morgan, Alm, and Lucina. Any of the others, she only hoped that they are safe.

She stood up and put on the clothing she made for herself. She secretly washed Frederick's shirt and put it in her bag because it would be embarrassing to return it and even worse if he wore it. She wore a long-sleeve dress with a dark green cloak and winter boots to keep warm. She walked out of her tent and decided to check out the training area. Walking through the camp, she could see people packing things up. Others collect herbs to take home. Some were sparring while others were relaxing and having some fun. A few others were tending their riding mounts. She arrived at the training grounds and saw Lissa was there. The blonde girl looked frustrated as she sent a blast to the practice target but it didn't do much damage. Donnel was there practicing with her. Sophia hadn't heard Bryhildr say anything but from what she heard before she woke up a giant wall of white light engulfed the camp and many people were healed. Sophia had a sneaky suspicion that it was the Book of Naga and someone touched it. The only ones that would be able to use it would be Chrom or Lissa.

Not Chrom because that man is horrible with magic and would set Ylisse on fire by accident if he even tried to conquer a fire spell. The second person would be Lissa. The girl is a war cleric. They need to specialize in white magic as well as physical damage.

"Hyaa!" 

The sound of something exploding made her return to reality. Sophia's eyes went wide when she saw that Lissa had punched the target with goblets, wherever the hell those came from.

"Hey! Not bad!" Donnel clapped as the girl slumped a bit, "What's wrong Lissa? I think you did a pretty good job ripping apart that target practice."

"Donnel, I need to work on my magic, not physical strength," Lissa whined a bit.

"You're doing fine. But I need to speak to you."

The two turned to see Sophia walking towards them with a tome in her arms.

"Oh! Sophia!" Lissa grinned as the woman walked up to them, "Good morning! How can I help you?"

"So you're Sophia!" Donnel looked at her shocked, "Um, nice to meet you, ma'am! I'm Donnel! One of the knights here!"

"Nice to meet you Donnel. You already know my name so no need to introduce myself." Sophia gave him a small smile and turned back to Lissa, "But back to the subject. Lissa, do you recognize this tome?" She held out the book.

Lissa immediately paled and looked away.

"Umm..." the girl became nervous.

"I promise you that you are not in trouble. I just need to know if you recognize it and if you have used it." Sophia said and Lissa cracked.

"Yes, I recognize it. The day Miriel and I were healing you, I accidentally dropped your belongings to the ground and when I picked up the tome, it opened up in my hands. And before I knew an entire white light engulfed everyone and many were healed." Lissa spilled everything and Donnel looked at her worried.

"I had a sneaky suspicion." Sophia sighed, "I want you both to watch me use this tome."

The two were confused but nodded. When Sophia had the Book of Naga float in front of her, she was immediately greeted by electronic shocks.

"NGH!" She should be screaming but because her body became accustomed to the pain, she could barely stand it.

The two looked at her in horror and begged her to stop, which she did. She was panting and they quickly took her to a bench to sit down.

"Are you crazy?! Why would you do that?!" They both scolded her.

" _Tis but a flesh wound_." Sophia dismissed it, "But as you both witnessed, that tome..." she points to the tome next to her, "I can not use it, no matter how much I try. And there is a reason for that."

She let go of another sigh as she turned to look at Lissa directly.

"Naga's blood does not run through my veins." She said.

You could hear a pin dropping as Lissa processed what Sophia had just said.

"Um...I..." Lissa shifted a bit uncomfortably and Sophia sat up normally.

"Lissa, only those who have Naga's blood can use that tome. That is why it reacted that moment when you touched it. Tell me, what did you feel when you touched it?" Sophia asked and Lissa sighed.

"Honestly, I felt safe. The tome felt warm, like home. Almost as if it was welcoming me. I have never felt that with any tome so I was surprised. '' Lissa muttered as she sat next to her.

"Sigh...tomes are alive in a sense and this tome took a liking to you. Well, to be more precise, only you can wield it." Sophia said, "Lissa, this is the Book of Naga...." Sophia turned to Lissa and gave her a small nod, "Keep it."

"Eh?" Lissa's smile froze as her brain was processing what she just said.

"Could you repeat that?" Lissa could barely say and Donnel gave her a worried look.

Sophia sighed as she looked to her left hand and then gently touched the right side of her face that was bandaged.

"The Book of Naga. Keep it."

"EEEEHHHHH!?"

"GHAA!" Sophia screeched, covering her ears because Lissa's screech was louder than anything she had ever heard.

Even poor Donnel looked like someone smacked him with a tin bell right next to the ears.

"B-But! This is yours! I can't keep this! I don't even have the Brand of Naga!" Lissa protested but one cold look from Sophia's now crimson eye shut her up.

"It doesn't matter if you do not have the brand. Naga's blood flows through your veins. Only those who have her blood may wield it. The only reason I was able to be because I forced it. And look where that got me." She pointed to her face, "A tome is alive. And when the tome rejects the Caster, it knows. The Book of Naga knows you are a kind person and a gentle soul. That is why it answered your call when you picked it up. The book 'loves' you." Sophia sighed again as she looked back to the table where her bag is.

"You may not see it now but The Book of Naga heard you. You want all those you love and care for to be safe and healthy. You want your people to be safe. There are sorrow and sadness but also love so pure that it knows what you want." She looked towards Lissa.

The girl bit her lip as she held the tome tightly to her chest.

"Why me...? Why not Chrom?" The girl whispered.

"Because," she looked up and Sophia smiled softly, "A kingdom can not prosper without those who cherish it." She gently placed her hand on her head.

"Chrom needs you. Donnel needs you." The said boy became a blushing mess, "Your kingdom needs people like you. The world needs people like you." Before Lissa could say anything, her eyes began to suddenly feel heavy.

She slumped forward into Sophia's arms and before Donnel could move, she appeared behind him putting him to sleep. Gently, the two were placed on the bench, leaning on each other and the Book of Naga was placed next to Lissa. Sophia took a deep breath and grabbed her bag, and smiled sadly.

"Let's go." She muttered and gave one last look to Lissa before she left.

"And to answer your question, Chrom is horrible with magic."

**[------]**

_By the time you find this letter, I will already be gone. No, I am not pulling a disappearing act on you all, that is why I am writing this letter. With the recent events that have happened as well as the war, I think I need time to myself before I can decide where to move forward. I thank you all for your time and for welcoming me._

_Robin, thank you for listening to me, and also I apologize for the teasing. I will come to your wedding, that is for sure. Hopefully, the next time we meet, I'll be a better person._

_Lysithea, I'm leaving you with my cookie recipe and make sure Gaius does not steal it! Other than that, I entrust you with my family recipe and hope you enjoy them. You are an amazing friend and hope things go well between you and Felix. I saw the looks in your eyes._

_Tharja, please try not to hex anyone._

_Derrick, for the love of God, please try not to cause too much trouble. Still, I know you're looking out for Nowi, since she's younger than you. You two are like siblings, take care of each other._

_Henry, thank you for everything that you have done. The plans, us being able to escape, we wouldn't have done it without you. Thank you, truly. I hope you have fun at the academy in Ylisse. Just try not to blow up the place._

_Morgan, I will be going away for a while. I will watch over Emmeryn for a while till she is ready to return to her family. I know it will take a few months but I want her to be well. You are a strong boy and I know you will be okay. I know you'll have fun in Ylisse and learn a lot. Also, I leave Petra to you. Make sure she gets her fruits every day or she gets grouchy. Take care._

There was one more letter she had written and was debating if she should deliver it or not. Sophia sat at the edge of the cliff early in the morning. She watched as the sun began to show its first peaks. Ingrid was ready to take off at any moment, her belongings packed since she didn't have much. She heard footsteps approaching and that person sat next to her.

"You're leaving." It was Morgan and she saw the letter in his hands.

"I am." Sophia muttered, "I need some time to myself after everything that has happened. I still have many conflicted emotions and even more since I am hiding your supposed dead aunt." She sighed as she looked back to the horizon.

"I honestly don't know how everyone is going to react once Emmeryn is well enough to return her to them."

Sophia sighed as she and Morgan sat near the edge of a cliff. Their feet dangled a bit as they watched the sunrise. The boy looked at her sadly as her eyes looked down to the camp below.

"Morgan, did Emmyren survive in your time?" She muttered and the boy shook his head.

"No...From what I learned of the war in my time...My aunt was killed in the assassination that took place months ago. However," his eyebrows furrowed, "they did discover some strange mark left on her."

"A mark?" Sophia turned to him, puzzled.

"The best way I could describe it is if the symbol of Naga and Grimleal were fused. At that time, Mother and Father believed it was the Grimleal's way of marking their victims but..." he was hesitant on saying the next part.

"But what Morgan?" Sophia narrowed her eyes a bit.

"A year later someone broke into the royal cemetery and her body was stolen." Sophia looked at him shocked.

"Growing up, father spent years searching for her till his final days. We were never able to locate her, unfortunately." Morgan muttered and looked back to the camp.

Sophia stood up and turned to walk away since the sun was rising even more.

"Sophia."

She stopped, waiting for the boy to finish. Morgan smiled at her.

"I hope you come back someday to Ylisse. Home...wasn't the same without you my teacher. Be safe."

She smiled softly and raised her hand, giving him a thumbs up.

"You be safe too you gremlin." Sophia smiled softly and turned back to him, giving him a letter, "Make sure Frederick gets this."

"I will Aunty."

**[-]**

Ingrid neighed loudly as she took off to the sunrise, heading towards the mountains of Ferox. Sophia let go of many deep breaths as she began ripping off her hair tie and the bandages she still had. She couldn't help but laugh and grin as the bandages flew away in the air. She was no longer bound by the Grimleal. She no longer had to live in fear. She no longer had to be afraid of the burden she carried. She will tell Robin the truth so they could prepare Valm. She's done running. For once in her life, she felt free.

_For a moment just in time...I am finally me._

Even if she still had a long way to go, the sunrise had never looked so beautiful before. She threw her arms up in the sky, finally able to scream out the words she has been wanting to do for a long time.

**"I'M FREE!"**

**{---}**

_Laid low by their scars,_

_A people wounded, but free._

_Seek what lies beyond,_

_This dark age._

_The seasons they turn,_

_Winter to spring._

_Dulling the pain and_

_Erasing the sting._

_The seasons turn,_

_Summer to fall._

_Time's warm embrace_

_Begins to heal all._

_A Dark Saint's Heart: Arc 1: Plegia War Arc: **Complete**_


	21. Xenolouge: Shards of Darkness

**\- A Fragmented Memory -**

_He can't remember the last time they were able to call a place home. He can't remember the last time they only stayed in one place. They were moving. Always moving. Always a new land. Never in one place. He misses seeing the princess. They would wake up around the same time and meet up at the stables. They would see Aunty Lysithea feed the pegasus along with Aunty Sumia. Aunty Sumia would trip sometimes and Uncle Gaius would catch her. He let go of a sigh as he looked out the window of the cottage they were staying in. The sky was crimson today. It is as if the sun was choosing to no longer show itself. Today and many more weeks, he and mama will live in the mountains of Plegia._

_"[--] come help me set up the dishes." He hears and he walked back._

_He is the second eldest of the children. Mother says more children will be born. He does not know when. He walked inside and sees the little manakete helping his mother cook. The other boy, Inigo? is reading a book on the couch. The twins are drawing in their journals. It used to be just his mother and him moving. Now there are four more. Not that he minds. It is lonely with just his mother and him. [---] misses seeing General Cordelia riding on her pegasus high in the sky. Or Mr.Kellem scaring Sir Stahl when he appears suddenly like a ghost. Oh! It was always fun sight seeing King Chrom be scolded by Lady Robin! He made a huge hole in the wall!_

_"[---] have you finished setting up the dishes?" Nah's voice made him snap out of his thoughts._

_He turned to the girl and carefully took the leftover plates from her hands._

_"I'll finish it." He smiled and walked to the table to set them up._

_"Hmm?" They hear his mother look out to the window and see a messenger owl fly in._

_The woman stretches her hand out and lands on her arm. Carefully, she removed the small scroll tied onto its feet and unraveled it. The neutral look on her face became one of shock and horror as she was reading its contents. The woman gritted her teeth and flinched when she heard one of the twins speak._

_"Aunty, is that a letter from Ylisse?" One said and the woman took a deep breath and nodded._

_"Yes." She answered as she was not allowing her emotions to show._

_[---] knew what that face is. It meant his mother was upset. The twin, Bernie looked confused._

_"Is it from Mama and Papa?" She asked and the woman shook her head._

_"Not today. Also, everyone." She turned and the children looked to her, "I will be leaving for a few days tomorrow. I will have you all stay with Henry and Olivia for a while. Alright?" The woman says and Inigo grins._

_"Yay! Mom and Pa!" Inigo cheers as he does a spin._

_The woman gave a small smile as she turned back to the owl. With a wave of her hand, she made a blank scroll appear and wrote in it. With that done, she tied it to his foot, the owl took off to the sky. She let go of a tired sigh. It had been a while since she heard anything from Ylisse. The war against Grima has been gruesome and it especially had been hard keeping the children safe because their parents would either fight in the frontlines or were part of royal courts. Henry became an official in Plegia and she also took part in it to help out. It was sad seeing the children not able to see their parents due to all the damn politics going on and war. Now...._

_"No. Calm down. Do not show weakness here." She thought and saw the children began to seat themselves at the table._

_As much as she wanted to gush, she did not. Her son was now 10 years old and has unconsciously made himself the leader of the group. He was the second oldest. The first one is the Ylisse Princess (11 years old). The second one is him. The third one is Inigo (9 years old) along with Cordelia's daughter (9 years old) and Lissa's son (9 years old). The woman picked up the pot and began to serve the kids. The twins are 8 years old, little Nah is 6 years. They all have grown well but unfortunately during a time of war. She sat down next to her son after she finished serving them their meals and began to eat. [---] glanced at his mother and then to Inigo, who nodded._

_"Ms. [---]." Inigo spoke and the woman turned to him, "We wonder when will we be able to go back to Ylisse? It's been a while since I have seen Owin and Severa." He says._

_The woman's lips became a thin line and she let go of a sigh._

_"No use in hiding it." She thought and spoke, "Severa is coming to live with us." She took a bite of her bread._

_A pin could be heard dropping as she continued to eat, allowing the children to register the information she just dropped. The twins looked at each other worried and Nah blinked multiple times, her ears twitching a bit to show she was nervous. Inigo couldn't form words and her son spoke._

_"Why is Severa coming to live with us?" [---] asked and she looked at him a bit worried but spoke._

_"War. I will not shield you children from the truth of this. General Cordelia and Swordmaster Lon'qu...have passed away." The was the safest way she could say it._

_Of course, she wasn't going to straight up say that the woman was killed during the mission to defend the Ylisse borders and was killed by a Risen Berserker. And that Lon'qu was killed in helping evacuate the citizens. The air became tense and filled with dread as she watched the two oldest of the group become pale as paper._

_"Is...Severa...fine with this arrangement?" Nah asked shyly and the woman closed her eyes, shaking her head a bit._

_"I will be finding that out in a few days." The woman muttered and [---] looked at her with wide eyes._

_"You're going to Ylisse?" He gasped and she nodded, "Take us wi---" and he instantly became silent the minute she turned to him with cold eyes._

_"No. None of you will be coming with me." She turned to look at the others, "Period. I will not allow any of you to be in danger. Even if I travel using my pegasus, there is a risk. You will all be staying with Henry and Olivia in The Garden. That is final. No questions asked." And the look she gave them said to finish their dinner._

**_[-----]_ **

_He couldn't sleep. [---] could not sleep. He sat up from his bed as he looked over to the giant one his friends liked to sleep in together. The way they were sleeping peacefully but he knew they were scared. Because of the war, they have to live away from their parents. It was for their safety. He wished things weren't like this. He hated it. He stood up carefully, making sure the bed did not creak. He carefully walked out of the room and to the back room of the kitchen, where his mother would usually be. [---] was silent as he watched his mother reading letters with a tried expression but also...she was almost ready to break down. The woman picked up her mug and took a sip of her coffee, trying to keep herself from falling asleep._

_"I know you're awake." She suddenly spoke and [---] flinched a bit, "You should be asleep." She kept writing._

_"Ma, you should also be asleep." He says back and her quill stopped._

_She turned to him with a raised eyebrow and he had a cheeky grin. The woman chuckled a bit and spoke._

_"Getting bold huh? If your father were here, he would scold you." She chuckled and the boy blinked._

_"Mama."_

_The woman turned to the young boy and looked at him with a blank face. She let go of a tired sigh as she gently let him climb on her lap. She gave him a small smile as she gently patted his head, and put her quil down. A small break would not hurt._

_"What is dad like?" The boy asked and the woman smiled a bit bitterly but spoke._

_"He is a knight. Strong and chivalrous. He is strict but kind. He is the number one strongest knight in all of Ylisse." She says and the boy grinned._

_"Papa sounds amazing! But when is he coming home? I only ever heard of him." He asked as the woman smiled sadly._

_"I'm sorry but....your papa...sigh...one day." She sighs as she stood up and held him in her arms as she looked out the window._

_The desert stretched out to the horizon. The sun setting showing hues of orange, red, and yellow._

_"[---] you have three homes." The woman muttered as she pointed to the mountains._

_Beyond Plegia, is Ylisse." She says and then pointed to the ocean, "Beyond the sea, is Valm." And lastly to the sky "and beyond the Sea of Stars, is a home beyond our reach._

_"Is it the Deeprealms you told me about?" The boy asked and the woman shook her head._

_"One day, when you are older, I will tell you." The woman smiled softly._

_"Then, if papa is in Ylisse, why are we here in Plegia?" The boy asked and the woman sighs as she looks back to the mountains._

_"Because...I made a promise." She muttered._

_"Promise?" They looked at her confused._

_"......We are still fighting Grima. Right now," she looked back into their room, "It's my job to protect you kids. Sigh...I swore I will and if anything else happens to the other children's parents, I will take them in. No questions asked." The boy was still confused._

_"Mama, did...dad ever hold me?" He asked suddenly and her face became warm._

_"The day you were born, was the day I saw your father burst into tears. It was the happiest day of our lives. I held you in my arms, you were so tiny." She smiled softly as she looked out to the sky._

_"When your father held you, he was a crying mess. Overjoyed. That he is proud that you are his son." She smiled softly at him._

_"Then...why do we have to move so much?" [---] asked and she looked at him concerned, "I miss Ylisse. I miss Lucina. I miss everyone. I never got to see papa because he is busy."_

_"[-----]." She hugged tightly, letting his head rest on her chest, "I miss him too. More than anything in the world. I want us to go back home but with the danger going on, we can't. Hold on my dear. I know how you feel. He wants to be here with us but he can't." She muttered._

_"Why?" He asked._

_"Grima. That's all I can say. But I promise you this." She kisses his forehead gently, "Even if I were to turn to dust one day, I will always love you. No matter what."_

**_[------]_ **

_Days passed and his mother left them with Uncle Henry and Aunty Olivia._

_Aunty is amazing. She likes dancing and she teaches the children when she has free time. Uncle Henry has to be in the Plegia Courts a lot. He banned the bad mages from out Plegia. It is strange seeing the others a lot. Bernie loves the library and Ryo likes swinging his sword. He had to scold Ryo because he was being reckless. He glared at him. He does realize he looks a lot like Uncle Felix?! [--] let go of another sigh as he took a bite from the sugar cookies Aunty Olivia made._

_Then..._

_It happened. The door to the garden was kicked open and he immediately knew Uncle Henry had come to visit! He ran from his room to the balcony, excitement in his eyes as he waved from above._

_"Uncle! Uncle!" He jumped off the balcony and Olivia screamed, her eyes rolling up as she fell._

_Poor Nah was the closest to her and had to catch her. Henry just laughed as he quickly caught the boy and spun him around. He had a cheeky grin but made a glance at his wife to make sure she was okay._

_"Well boy! You're already giving ladies heart attacks!" Henry laughed as he put him down, "So, ready to commit a little hersey?"_

_Everyone could have sworn Olivia passed out for the second time after hearing her husband make that comment. [---] grinned and gave him two thumbs up._

_"Let's do heresy!" Henry knew that the boy's mother was going to kill him the minute she returned._

**_[------]_ **

_Days passed, and well, Henry knew it was coming when his friend returned._

_"Mama! Ready to do hersey?!" The boy grins and his mother looked like she had turned into a stone statue._

_"......." his friend slowly turned to him with the little redhead behind her was confused, "Henry.....I'm going to kill you." The snarl that left her lips terrified the children while the man just burst out laughing._

**_[----]_ **

_A week. Perhaps a month. Severa has been adjusting to living in Plegia along with him and the rest. The girl is snappy, like a crab. But cute and huffy like a kitten. Well, that's how his mother describes her. Never actually met Severa. He has heard stories of her from his mother and Inigo. He's seen her from afar, but talking to her he has never done. Currently, he was up in the trees, resting, munching on an apple as he watched the red-haired twin tail from afar._

_"Someone's in trouble." He chuckled to himself when he saw the wooden training lance in her hands._

_The girl thrusted viciously but unfortunately not in the proper way. He snickered when he saw his mother walking up the hill and towards the girl. The woman held a broken lock and stopped a few feet from the girl._

_"Severa." The woman spoke in a calm tone yet the girl flinched because she recognized it._

_Her mother used to use the same tone also when she was in trouble._

_"Severa."_

_Crimson-colored eyes looked at her with a scowl on her face. Despite being a child, she already had that feisty personality. The woman let go of a sigh as she knelt, the little girl only glared from where she stood._

_"Were you the one that snuck into the storage room and took the wooden lances?" The woman asked gently._

_[---] just watch from the trees. There was amusement in his eyes as he watched his mother most likely about to ground the girl for a week. The woman waited patiently for the twin tail girl to answer but all she got were puffy cheeks with an adorable glare._

_"Hmph!" Severa crossed her arms and looked away, all huffy._

_"Severa, answer my question." The woman said with a slight edge in her tone._

_Sevara just huffed and looked away. The woman pinched the bridge of her nose and spoke._

_"If you don't answer my question, you will get no pudding dessert." And instantly the girl turned to her with a horrified look, "Oh, so now I have your attention." the woman smirked a bit._

_"That's not fair!" Severa pouted and the woman patted her head._

_"Neither is breaking into the storage room. If you wanted to learn to use a lance, you could have just asked." The woman said bluntly and the girl huffed again._

_"But you are terrible at using one! Mama always made sure to teach me about them and Papa would teach me about his sword!" Severa said and the woman sighs._

_"I know I am not as skilled at using a lance-like your mother but I do know the basics. Tell you what." The woman stood up, "If you learn to use the lance and properly block one attack from me, I will teach you how to ride a pegasus."_

_"Hmm...What's the catch?" The girl asked, a bit nervous._

_"Easy, you eat your vegetables and help me cook dinner."_

_"But I hate broccoli and spinach!"_

_"Oh? Is that so? Well looks like you aren't going to be tall."_

_"Grr!" Severa huffed and the woman chuckled a bit, gently patting her head._

_"Now, Severa." The woman knelt again, "I know it has been...difficult for you to adjust to this new life. It's not easy for anyone. But right now, what is important is that we all stay together. I will take my time and train you and the others. But, I want you all to also put in equal effort. Alright?" she smiled softly._

_"Okay...But," The woman raised an eyebrow at her, "can you tell me about Mama and Papa about their glory days?" the girl asked._

_"Alright." The woman smiled softly, "Since you asked nicely, is there something else you want?"_

_"Two puddings for tonight!"_

_"Absolutely not."_

_"WHY?!"_

**\- The Present Time to search -**

Alm was silent as he let go of a sigh. He never got rid of the habit of climbing trees and sleeping in them. His mother would tell him, his grandfather used to do that, and also his great-great-great-grandfather, whoever they were. Still, he let go of another sigh as he looked up to the sky. The colors of cool light blue and white clouds made him appreciate the skies. In the future he was born, the skies were dark, black with hues of orange and red. The scent of smoke always lingered in the air with a foul taste. The peaceful sounds of birds chirping in his presence did not exist in the future. Instead of running from boars when hunting, they had to run away from Risen and bone walkers. A peaceful day like today is a blessing. One he will always be grateful for. He secretly prayed a Thank you to the Divine Dragons. The sudden thought of the Divine Dragons made him miss The Voice. She was kind and lovely. She took care of them for a while before---

"Stop." He muttered to himself and heard footsteps approaching.

He recognized who it was by the sound of how quickly they were heading towards him with a bit of click in the heels.

"Alm!"

He quickly sat up and saw it was Lucina. The girl was panting, looking at him with wide eyes as he jumped down.

"What's wrong?" He quickly said as he walked up to her and she shook her head.

"Sophia. She's gone." Lucina panted and Alm frowned as he handed her his canteen of water.

"I figured as much. She's a coward after all. " He muttered and Lucina shot him a glare.

"You know very well she wouldn't just leave without a reason." She said coldly, " But...that's not the other reason I am upset."

"Oh?" Alm raised an eyebrow at her as she looked back to the camp with a slightly frustrated look on her face.

"It's Morgan. He has decided to stay with the Ylisse army." She muttered and Alm looked at her shocked.

"What?! Why would he..." he didn't finish when she turned to him.

"He doesn't recognize me." Lucina smiled painfully, " I thought he would recognize me but when I said who I am..."

_"Who are you?"_

"To him...I am a stranger. Of course, no one would want to go with a stranger." Lucina let out a bitter chuckle, "After all this time, we finally found one of my siblings but he doesn't know who I am."

"Most likely amnesia." Alm sighed as she leaned on his shoulder, "I remember Tiki warning us that magic can have some side effects. I'm guessing this is one of them when we were brought 23 years into the past." He sighed as he gently rubbed her arm with his hand.

"What now?" He muttered and Lucina sighed.

"We look for Sophia. She has answers to questions we have and just letting her go would do us no good. Severa should track her down." Lucina said as they walked back to their mounts.

Alm petted his horse and sighed. His emotions have been conflicted for a long ever since he met Sophia. The version of this time was similar but so different from the version he knew. The Sophia of this time seemed so much happier and livelier compared to the future version. The future version of Sophia, the one he knows, was a woman who had long lost her ability to feel emotions yet was protective of them. He grew up seeing life slowly fade away from her eyes. He took a deep breath. They need to find her and speak to her.

Especially him. After all, she is---

**\- Dead Man tells no Tales -**

"Huff....huff....gulp...Gasp!"

The war field that once held a bloody battle, was now a field filled with the corpses of Plegain, Feroxi, and Ylisse soldiers. A sole survivor who survived the fiery blast of a manakete. Her armor was burnt off. She panted and gulped for air as she limped and used her ax as support to walk. Her body was covered in burns, a gash on her back. She was covered in blood but the pain she felt was nothing to the burning rage and hatred she felt towards the group that betrayed Plegia.

"Damn you...damn you, Derrick...Damn you Tharja...Damn you Henry...and most of all..." she raised her head towards the sky, "DAMN YOU SOPHIA!" She screamed.

**Arca.**

The one who turned Sophia in. Here she is, barely alive in a valley filled with nothing but corpses. She laughed to herself, knowing how horrified she looked. Yet that did not stop her to keep on walking, reaching the capital, and take control. Yet, such a desire of hers to get revenge will not happen. She gasped when she suddenly heard movement and fear filled her body when the corpses began to rise. She began running as fast as she could. Even if her lungs burned like fire, but she did not care. She screamed and thrashed when the Risen got her but all they did was hold her down.

"Damn you pieces of meat!" She screamed but she felt her blood run cold when the sky suddenly turned crimson blood. Slowly a diamond-shaped portal opened from the sky and emerging from it, was the Deadlord that destroyed the capital. The Risen Queen stood still in the air and then let out her roar. Arca could not stop shaking. All the anger and hate she had disappeared in an instant. It was now replaced by fear. Tears fell from her eyes as her body shook with fear. The Risen Queen flew down and stood before her. Looking down at her. The veil hid her face yet all Arca could do was keep quiet. The queen was silent, staring at her when she suddenly grabbed the woman by the face and held her up.

Arca this point was desperate but...

**_"Ufu.."_ **

A giggle. Arca slowly looked back and saw the Queen shaking, no, laughing.

 ** _"Ufu..Ufu...Hahahahaha!"_** A burst of laughter unlike any other, as if she were underwater or possessed by some demon, that is how the Risen Queen laughed as she held her up.

 ** _"Look at you."_** The queen grinned, **_"All that anger and hatred...gone in an instant. Seeing you now as nothing but a useless worm...Hahaha! Oh no...I have a job for you Arca. You so much more...but..."_** she pulled her to her face and the wind moved the veil enough to reveal The Queen's face.

"!" Arca was stunned to silence and then screamed when she was thrown back to the Risen.

"Devour her. Rip her apart. Then put her back! Keep repeating my dolls!" The Risen Queen screamed.

"No..No..Please NOOOO--!!"

Screams of horror and terror filled the entire field as the Risen tore apart Arca like a broken doll and then sewed her back together like a ragged doll. The screams never stopped because the Risen Queen was keeping her alive on purpose. To make the woman feel nothing but despair and agony. Arca's pleas could be heard but they were ignored as the Risen Queen flew through the field in search of another body. Then she spotted what she wanted. She flew down and found the decapitated body of King Gangrel but the head was missing.

 ** _"Found you~"_** she cooed as she picked up the head that was kicked away.

She began laughing as she held it in her hands, seeing how pale the skin was but also how the king's final words, the facial features he made as he spoke them, remained on his face. She set the head on fire along with the body, for they will serve their purpose in two years. She turned back to the field, so many corpses remain, so many to build a new army. She can feel the emotions that remained on the corpses and began laughing as she turned to look at the sky.

**_"Greed. Lust. Deception. Hatred. Rage. Infidelity."_ **

Each step she took up the staircase of glad, the Risen Queen spoke words filled with malice as she raised her hand. Each droplet of rain that fell became still as a stone in the palm of her hands. Her veil covered her eyes as she looked up to the starry sky.

**_"Love. Joy. Sorrow. Precious love slips away like time's sand. Death. Empathy._** "

The glass staircase shattered yet she kept walking in the air as if it was still there. Each step she took resonated as her lips curved up a bit.

 ** _"Humans, their existence is a mistake. War. Jealousy. Deceit."_** She stopped and turned to look down at the once raining battlefield, darkness spreading.

Bodies of Ylisse, Ferox, and Plegian soldiers rising one by one, letting out monstrous roars as she raised her arms.

 ** _"Human beings take everything away from themselves. They are nothing but worms and insects that infect and spread. But not for long."_** She chuckled as the army of risen grew.

**_"Today, we shall let those pathetic living humans relish their victory. But when the time comes...."_ **

The wings on her head grew out as her arms were fully raised to the sky. Her teeth became fangs as she relished roars and cries of the risen. Her smile became wicked as she broke into a mechanical laugh. The crimson sky turned red as blood as the night was filled with roars of death.

**_"We shall devour them! For we are the will of Grima!"_ **

**\--- The Witch's Faith Cracks --**

"Ugh.."

Everything was in pain. Her head pounded as if drums were beating right beside her. She felt she was on something soft, sleep wanted to take over her but she needed to wake up.

_"Why...help...?"_

_"Injured...not.. leave..."_

She could hear voices speaking. That was more than enough to make her wake up. Carefully she opened her eyes, yet she could feel her left side was bandaged so unfortunately, she could not to see anything from there.

"Hmm...urgh..." she grumbled as she could hear the voices shushing each other, "Tch." It stung trying to sit up and she heard someone quickly approach her.

"Careful. You just woke up." She felt someone help her sit up and even placed a pillow on her back.

Aversa blinked multiple times to help clear her vision and once it was cleared up, she looked around. The scent of herbs and essences filled her nostrils as she looked around. There were multiple shelves with books and jars filled with herbs. She could see a table with a tea set and a few pastries. But the majority of the room was lit up by magic crystals that were scattered around. Finally, her eyes landed on a young woman that seemed cautious of her. The woman had brown-colored hair with a single streak of mint. She wore the dress uniform of lower rank Grimleal mage. Her eyes then landed on the man that was making sure she was comfortable. The man looked around her age. Dark blue-colored hair tied to ponytail, light-colored skin, he wore round glasses and wore the uniform of a warlock. But was noticeable was the scar on his neck as if the guillotine had fallen on him.

"There, that should do it!" The man sighed as he finished fixing the pillows and blankets for her, "I'm glad you are awake Lady Aversa." He gave her a warm smile.

Aversa could barely comprehend what had just happened but quickly snapped out of it.

"Who are you? And where am I?" Her voice was cold but the man sighed and nodded.

He motioned the young woman to bring food for her.

"Lady Aversa, I am Edward. I am an intermediate Grimleal mage and as of currently, you are in my home." The man now known as Edward said and Aversa raised an eyebrow.

"Your home?" Aversa muttered, "How long have I been out?"

"Two weeks." The young woman came in with a tray of food, "I'm Sina, Edward is my elder brother. I brought stew and some fruits. I hope it is to your liking." She placed the tray in front of her.

Aversa stared at the food in front of her. A bowl of stew with some pieces of meat, a bowl of grapes and strawberries, and a cup with tea. Aversa sighed and carefully picked up her spoon, but winced a bit. She noticed that her entire body was wrapped in bandages. Just how badly injured was she? Nonetheless, she took a spoonful and hummed. If she has been asleep for two weeks, then that explains why the food tasted so good.

"Do you like it?" Sina asked nervously and Aversa nodded.

"It's perfect." The woman said and Sina let go a sigh of relief.

"Lady Aversa, I am sorry to ask you this but do you remember anything?" Edward asked and Aversa placed her hand on her left eye gently.

She remembered everything alright. The war, the battles, and especially her battle against Sophia. She should be angry, even screaming but a small chuckle left her lips as she ate.

"I do...The fight battle I fought, I lost." She muttered, "But somehow I am not angry. But...perhaps satisfied should be the answer." She took a bite from a strawberry.

"I see," Edward muttered.

"And what happened after the war? As well as the Grimleal?" She said and Edward answered.

"After the war, right now, the people of Plegia are working to restore the capital after the immense damage. To be honest, I'm happy to see Plegai being repaired." Edward said as she listened, "As for the Grimleal, all have scattered. Some have even chosen to quit and help restore Plegia."

" That is expected." Aversa closed her eye, " With the war lost as well as the Grimleal leaders have called as well as King Gangrel, it was a matter of time for members to choose to quit."

She let go of a sigh, as faint memories buzzed in her mind. Especially the ones where she is a child, running from...someone. But who? The thought made her skin crawl and shiver.

"What do you plan to do now Lady Ave—!"

"Aversa."

The two adults blinked as she finished her food.

"Just Aversa. I am no longer a general of the Grimleal." She looked at them, " I believe that is also the case with two, isn't it?"

The two were silent but Edward nodded.

"......It is better if you leave Plegia." Aversa said and the two looked at her surprised, "Validar is alive, and it will only be a matter of time till he regroups Grimleal and has Plegai under his thumb." She gritted her teeth.

"Aversa....you..." Edward sighed, "Even if we left, Validar always has his ways of finding traitors."

"I know." She muttered.

_"But not this time. My faith in him...has finally cracked."_

**—- Forest of Leichen --**

A few weeks have passed since Sophia left. And during those few weeks, Alm and Lucina were reunited with their friends. Not all but a few. But right now, they had to search for herbs for medicines. Unfortunately, the job could only be done by Severa and Alm. Severa gritted her teeth as they walked through the dark forest. The path was wet and muddy, not to mention the strange sounds she has been hearing. The environment around them didn't help either. Alm looked around as he searched for a specific flower. They weren't supposed to be difficult to find. He let go of a sigh as they stopped. They need to find the lantern flowers. So far, they've only seen nothing but snapdragons, lilies and at most, glaze lily or two. Perhaps he should make Severa sing.

No, that would spell his funeral.

"You know...it doesn't hurt to have a little fun." He thought as he looked around and saw Severa was scared.

"Yo Severa, remember the ghost stories Aunt Mercedes used to tell us about?" Alm chuckled at how pale Severa turned at the mention of the ghost stories.

"Now isn't the time for that!" The girl hissed under her breath, "The environment we're in really isn't helping!"

It wasn't. They were in an abandoned village that was near the Forest of Leichen on the northeast side of the peninsula of Ferox. The story is that this land was where the first undead was born. Where once the ancient Kingdom of Valla stood and fell. There are hundreds of stories that revolve around the abandoned piece of land but the most common is that during the Jugdral era, this forest is where the first Child Hunt began. Some say that the souls of the children killed in those onslaughts gather here. And when an unfortunate individual is lost, they latch onto them and drag them deeper, never letting them go.

"I was just trying to lighten up the mood." Alm chuckled but Severa could see it, he was also terrified.

"Just shut up. We need to gather the lantern flowers and get the hell out of here! Gawd! Why couldn't Nah and Eden do this job?!" She grumbled as they carefully stepped over mossy rocks.

"Because Eden's body isn't exactly a normal human like ours. He's a homunculus. More sensitive to negative energy. Second, the air in this forest is filled with anti-magic particles. It's poisonous to manaketes." Alm said and Severa huffed a bit.

"Fine. Yo---"

_Snap._

Alm had never seen Severa jump so fast into his arms. Then again, the environment wasn't helping.

"I hate this!" Severa growled and suddenly realized she was in his arms, "Let go."

Alm just shrugged and let go of her.

"GHA!" Severa landed hard on her bottom and she just snickered, "I meant normally! Not drop me!"

"Sorry but y---" he suddenly pulled out his sword and the girl scrambled up with her daggers out.

About 15 feet away, they could see three blue glowing orbs coming closer and closer. The leaves of the forest began swaying suddenly and the wind picked up a bit. Suddenly whispers could be heard all around, the children's voices. Alm gritted his teeth as the light came closer and closer. They readied their weapons to attack but...

"Oh my!"

They began blinking multiple times.

"What are you children doing in these woods?" The voice of a woman spoke as the blue light they realized came from the flowers the woman was holding.

The light of the flowers illuminated the area they were in, revealing a woman with short brown hair, pale blue eyes, a brown-colored dress of a Valm priestess. She held a basket filled with blue-colored bell-shaped flowers that glowed a bright blue. But what was more intimidating was the black scythe that she carried behind her back. Severa spotted a few questionable red droplets on the blade but did not say anything.

The woman smiled sweetly as her eyes traveled to Alm and then to Severa.

"Are you children looking for lantern flowers?" She held up her basket, "These I picked from the field not too far from where we stand."

"...yes." Severa muttered and realized who this was, "We are looking for them."

"May I ask why?" The woman asked, her smile remaining.

"We need them for medicine," Alm said and the woman nodded.

"Lantern flowers can not be picked unless you sing to it. Aha, wait, those are glaze lilies." The woman chuckled.

"...What are you doing in this forest?" Alm said, not putting his sword down.

"I live here. I help the spirits of the children here pass on. A few are standing behind you." Never had the two wiped around so fast.

It was terrifying. Seeing hundreds of translucent figures of children from ages 5 to 13 stand there and staring at them. The woman walked past the two and spoke to the children.

"Now, now. It's alright. They are not from Grimleal. It's okay." The woman said softly and the children were silent, "For now, why don't you all return to the flowers? I'll keep an eye on them."

And like smoke, they all disappeared.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Severa gagged a bit.

"Severa, this is...Aunt Mercedes." Alm whispered to her.

"I know...no wonder Pa swore to never tell her about the ghost stories of Chon'sin."

**[-----]**

Severa muttered a Thank you as Mercedes served her tea along with Alm. They were currently in a small cottage house. The inside smelled like herbs and pastries as well as the place felt welcoming. There were flower vases around the place yet...there was also something strange. Mercedes sat down between them and smiled softly as the scent of sweet apple blend tea filled her nostrils. She spoke, her voice was airy and relaxed.

"What is your children's story? It is rare to see people in the forest and much less children. If you children did not have a strong mind, there could have been consequences." She said and they gulped.

"We..." Alm began, "We came here in search of the lantern flowers for medicine but also...for a potion." Severa looked at him with wide eyes but Alm knew lying to Mercedes there would be consequences.

_One does not simply lie to a Dark Knight._

"A potion?" Mercedes said and Alm nodded.

"We heard that the lantern flower was a key ingredient to a potion called _Fliatri_." And Mercedes frowned, "We know the potion is dangerous but we need it. There....have been some serious problems going when we fight the Risen and we believe the potion can help us. As for medicine, we know that lantern flowers enhance the abilities of vulneraries as well as white magic." He finished.

Severa was ready to kick him under the table till Mercedes sighed.

"You both are bold to try and recreate that potion." She muttered, "That potion is from the Jugdral Era, created by Queen Deirdre to fight the Deadlords, however, if not used correctly, it could kill you. Thus the potion was deemed forbidden by the council and still is." She looked at them both, "Are you both ready to face the consequences should word of it get out?"

"We are!" Severa said, "After everything we've been through, we can not just stop. We already lost ut families and if this a way to create the change we want to save those we love...we'll do it!" She slammed her fist on the table.

Mercedes was silent as she closed her eyes and stood up.

"Very well, if that is your choice..." she walked over to a vase with lantern flowers but also glaze lilies, "Then you will need these."

She handed the vase to Severa with a sad smile.

"Thank you...Mercedes." Alm smiled softly and the woman patted his head like a child.

Severa began snickering at the face he was making and then her laughter was cut off when Mercedes began petting her head. She became a blushing mess and now it was Alm's turn to laugh.

But even small happy moments don't last forever.

**BAM! BAM! BAM!**

Mercedes quickly whipped towards her door, someone was banging on it. Severa quickly put the flowers away in the magic bag and had the dagger out and Alm his sword.

"Shhhhh..." Mercedes hushed them as she walked to the door and opened it.

The children's faces immediately darken at the sight of a Grimleal elder mage. Mercedes motioned them to put their weapons down. She turned back to the mage with her smile.

"Can I help you?" She said.

"May we speak outside?" The mage said and she nodded.

The other two did not trust the mage so they decided to follow after her. Alm stiffened at the sight of two more Grimleal mages as well as Severa. The girl gulped and saw the mage speaking to Mercedes. Their tones were hushed but even though Mercedes kept a calm face, they could see the mage become visually frustrated. The ghost children were watching from afar. The smile on Mercedes never left her lips as a Grimleal mage and two of his lackeys were behind him. A bead of sweat rolled down Severa's cheek as well as Alm. The tension in the air was becoming suffocating.

"The place is surrounded," Severa muttered and Alm gulped yet Mercedes only extended out her arm a bit, her way of saying for them to stand back.

"Why have you come?" Mercedes's sweet voice rang through the place.

"We once again have come to offer you to join the Grimleal." The high-rank mage said and the woman tilted her head a bit.

"I have said many times and I shall say it again." Her eyes squinted just a bit, "I decline your offer."

"On the contrary Miss Mercedes." The mage chuckled, "We offer you an audience with our leader. He has had his eyes on you for some time."

"I decline," Mercedes repeated, as her eyes became half-lidded.

"Declining isn't an option." The mage snapped his fingers and the others were surrounded.

"Sigh..." Mercedes sighed as she closed her eyes, "I see." She slowly began to reach back, _"I may be a healer but...."_

S _LASH!_

The mages of the higher up began screaming when the head of their leader was gone and blood was squirted all over. Alm quickly covered his mouth because he wanted to throw up as Mercedes held her scythe with her left hand. But in her right hand, she held up the head of the mage as if it were a basket. Severa was too stunned to move as the woman opened her eyes and smiled.

_"Even my patience has its limits. I said to leave. I have declined. Goodbye."_

"Get them!" The mages yelled and the battle began.

Alm and Severa had never once seen Mercedes in combat. They have head stories from their parents but now they are witnessing the woman fight and they were terrified. Mercedes sounded her scythe gracefully and then brought down on the enemy, their necks sliced off cleanly. Their bodies falling to the ground. Droplets of blood were on her face and clothing but she did not care. Her eyes were wide and no longer a smile on her face as she fought. Alm yelled as he slashed at another Grimleal lackey and kept cutting them down.

But...

"You...had your chance." The final Grimleal breathed his last words.

"What do you---!" The forest burst into flames along with the cottage.

"NO!" Mercedes screamed as she ran to her home and went inside.

"Aunt!" Alm yelled and went after her.

"[---] YOU CRAZY BASTARD!" Severa yelled as she was trying to put out the fire.

Alm coughed as the inside of the cottage was burning. Everything was on fire and he couldn't see anything clearly because of the smoke. Yet he could hear footsteps running around quickly. Finally, he spotted Mercedes and she managed to fill her bag with quite a few of her belongings that survived as well as tome she held tightly to her chest.

"Come on, we need to go!" Alm said and Mercedes wept but nodded.

He helped her manage to grab a few more things and especially the lantern flowers. The fire was just everywhere and they were going to escape unscathed.

"Oh!" He quickly picked her up, kicked the door, and jumped out of the building on time.

"Guys!" Severa yelled and ran to him, pulling our vulneraries and pouring them on them.

All they could do now was watch as the forest burned down.

**[-----]**

Hours passed and all that remained of the once haunted forest was a pile of ashes along with her former home. Mercedes had a dazed look as she looked at the once dark forest, now reduced to ashes along with the abandoned village she lived in. Alm bit his lip as he walked up, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered and flinched when ashes began to take on the figures of children walking up to them.

Mercedes knelt as gently held the hands of a young boy, who shook his head but smiled softly.

_"Tha..nk..you..."_

Her breath hitched at the ashes and was blown away as she stood up. The light of the sun's rays barely peeked through the dark clouds.

"What happened to them?" Severa whispered as the woman closed her eyes, letting a few tears fall.

"This forest was once a beautiful place filled with joy." Mercedes muttered, "The village itself has been abandoned for 200 years. But 20 years ago, the Child Hunts were revived by the Grimleal. Even if Loptous no longer lives, there are still those who worship the fallen dragon through the Grimleal." She clenched her fist.

"Were you...?" Alm whispered and she shook her head.

"No. But I lived in this village with orphaned children and a brother of mine. I was the eldest. I assured them that I would be back on time for the shooting stars but when I returned...Only their charred bodies remained." Mercedes held up her scythe.

They moved it just a tad bit, her eyes reflecting at her.

_"The Grimleal...They will s̷̡̗̏u̴͍̲͐f̵̙́͘f̸̼̅̄ě̷̢̹͋r̴̺̈̕͜."_

Severa suddenly felt terrified as well as Alm when they heard her voice become disorientated just for a moment. But one thing for sure they understood. Mercedes had every intent to make the Grimleal suffer.

"What will you do now?" Severa asked, worried as she planted a few of the surviving flowers on the ground.

Mercedes gave her a small smile as she spoke.

"Perhaps I shall wander around for the time being." The woman muttered and turned to them, "But...thank you for speaking to me. It has been years since I have spoken to someone."

"Come with us!" Alm suddenly said, "I know we don't look like much but you could be safe. The Grimleal will be hunting you down and it will be difficult to keep on hiding. Please." He said.

"I can not." Mercedes shook her head and gave them a sad smile as she stood up, "My role has yet to come." She began to walk away and gave them one final smile, "Goodbye. The next time we meet, I'll have some rosehip tea and some sweets." And left.

Severa was going to go after but was stopped. Alm shook his head.

"It's not our place." He muttered and she glared at him but nodded.

"Come on..." she muttered, "We need to find Sophia."

**_[Interlude 1: End ]_ **


End file.
